Blood Ties
by missedkarma
Summary: Eric and Sookie find find out just how strong and how valuable a blood bond can be. Spoilers for all 8 books.
1. Chapter 1

A/N This is my first stab at writing any type of fan fiction, or anything that I have really let others read. Please forgive my mistakes and inconsistencies (if any). Constructive criticism is more than welcome.

-Everything book 1-8 is assumed.

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"1 more hour",

"1 more hour and I'll be home soaking in the tub, washing the stink of grease and stale beer outta my hair" I felt my whole body relax at the thought. This was my fifth shift in a row and today was a double. I'm still trying to recover financially from my little Rhodes "vacation". And even though my feet ache and throb like they have their own heartbeats, Holly had asked me to cover her shift for her little boy's school play. I could hardly say no to that. Besides, I like Holly and her son. She's one of the few people in Bon Temps that didn't treat me like "Crazy Sookie".

I was all the more crazier now that I had thrown my hand in with the local Supe population. (Yeah, like I had a choice in that). My gift, or curse, whatever you wanna call it, had made me a pariah (word of the day) to everyone I had known my whole life. But, it made me valuable, even special, to the Supes. Of course being "special" to them usually came tied to a mess of hot water. But I was starting to think that I preferred THAT to the way my own human kind treated me most days. "Crazy Sookie" indeed.

I have worked at Merlotte's for a good long time and Sam has been a great boss to me and an even better friend. For that reason alone (ok, also because Gran would've smacked my bottom with a rolling pin for being anything less than gracious and "pleasing") I could never let on that I was growing tired, so tired, of slinging chicken baskets every night.

I was also getting tired of keeping my shields up all the the time. Last week, I made the mistake of letting my shields down when one of my old high school teachers stopped by. Ms. Mayweather had to be 100 years old if she was a day, she was old when she taught my English class. As I made my way over, I dropped my shields to see if she'd remember me.

"Can't swing a damn cat in this town these days without hitting a vampire whore, who didn't know that Sookie Stackhouse would end up right at the top of that line."

I quickly shut off my mind to keep from hearing the rest. Ms. Mayweather in her delicate purple flowered dress, with her falling down knee high stockings and lovely wrinkled face had just been more cruel to me in her head than most people dare to out loud (with the exception of my own brother or maybe Arlene since she had fallen in with the FoTS). I couldn't do anything but smile and take her order.

That's all I've ever been able to do is just smile and take it. At least one bright spot about meeting Bill Compton is that he helped me learn to control my telepathy. Maybe there were more bright spots about meeting Bill Compton, but right now I was not in the mood to count them or debate them. No, I have had quite enough of the vampire love triangle these past few months. Especially since one of the sides of the triangle has been noticeably absent from the equation.

Eric

I get it, I get, big vampire takeover but not even a phone call? And this blood bond thing, I'm still trying to figure that one out. Eric told me that he was the lesser of two evils and I believe that. What I don't believe is my own emotions about it and since then. There are times when I feel so confused, so frustrated and then all I have to do is think of Eric and I'm more at peace than I have ever been. Is that me? Is it him? He told me we may be able to feel each other and that much was proven when I rescued him and the new King from Sophie-Anne's former body guard. But so far the "bond" in question had only been helpful if one of us were in in trouble not just to send warm fuzzies. If he had the power to make me feel good from a safe distance, that probably meant he could make me feel real bad too. That's a can of worms I may not want to open. If he would pick up the phone and call, I'd work up the courage to ask him, so long as it didn't trigger,"the talk".

Just when I thought I was about go insane from thoughts racing through my head (and this time they were all mine) a voice shook me back to the here and now,

"Sookie, you alright girl?" It was Sam with that gentle concern that was always present and very rarely if ever crossed the line into prodding.

"I'm fine Sam, just a little tired tonight, you caught me daydreaming about a bubble bath." I smiled innocently, not sure if the weariness that I had managed to show.

"Why don't you take off Sook, there's only one table left to clear and it's Andy's. You've been working a lot lately and you've got a few days off coming to you after tonight and I want you to take 'em. I know you don't wanna talk to me about your money situation, but Sookie, if you need money or a raise"...his voice trailed off.

Sam was and always had been a gentleman to me, even though he had not so secret anymore feelings for me, he had never acted as anything other than the true southern gentleman that he was. Even when I had chosen Bill over him and now had conflicting emotions toward a certain blond viking vision, he still would give me anything I asked.

I rushed to hug him. "Sam Merlotte, you are a wonderful man and someday you are going to meet a woman who deserves you." I kissed him quickly on the cheek, his days worth of red-brown stubble tickling my lips and backed away giggling. He flushed with embarrassment and swatted at me playfully with a bar towel.

"Well, get outta here then" he laughed. But my back was already toward him and heading to his office to collect my things.

******************

8:30pm

The parking lot was nearly empty as I made my way over to my car and unlocked it with a beep of the key pad. I'd never owned anything that you didn't have to stick the key in the lock and turn before Tara all but gave me this car. To think, my one "ritzy" thing almost ruined by more vampires. I made a small huff with my breath and leaned against the car to admire Tray Dawson's handy work. It was difficult to see under the sliver of crescent moon, but I knew. If you didn't know that I had used my car to kill a centuries old vampire to save the life of a millenia old one who just may or may not be the love of my life , well you just wouldn't want to know anyway.

I turned to open the door when I heard a familiar voice.

"Sookie, I was just coming to see you.' I turned to find Pam, Eric's second in command, standing less than two feet away with a smile (fang-less) on her beautiful face and in her very manicured hands a collection of DVD's. She seemed genuinely happy.

"Umm, Hey Pam", I stuttered. I found that I was actually happy to see her. Eric may be too busy or too big for his britches to break down and come visit me,(or maybe he was avoiding "the talk' as much as I was) but at least he sent Pam. At first I was annoyed that he felt the need to send her to keep tabs on me. But the truth is, I like Pam. And whether by Eric's insistence or not, Pam and I had become friends. Take that "Crazy Sookie" proclaimers, my two best friends are a powerful witch who turns her boyfriends into fat house cats and a 200 year old Victorian, Barbie Doll from Hell vampire, so HA!

Pam's smile faded a few notches, "You forgot, girls night?" The disappointment was palpable as she dropped her requiste DVD collection full of chick flicks to her side.

"Don't be silly, Pam, of course I didn't forget," I lied. Good thing vamps can't read my mind either, I'd really hate to hurt Pam's feelings. "i just figured I rush to the store to pick up some drinks and snacks and take a quick shower."

Pam almost squealed with delight, "Snacks are on me" as she produced a white plastic sack filled to the brim with empty yet satisfying calories. I'll be damned, Pam stopped at the Quik Mart. Even though vampires were now "out of the coffin" so to speak and everyone who owned a television had known about their existence for the last several years, I'd still given half my night's tips to see the clerk behind the counter sell a bag of Funyuns and a six pack of Tru Blood to the petite, unassuming killer in front of me.

"I've already spoken to Amelia," she continued." I asked her to brew you a gallon of that sugar water you call tea and heat those little pizza wraps that you both love so much, although something with less cheese and sauce might be more lady-like to eat with your fingers."

This, this is what I loved about Pam. She has the ability to kill and drain any one of us with a lethal quickness, but at the heart of her, she is still a proper English lady. Tea is served hot, with one cube of sugar at a maximum and a dash of milk, and served in proper Bone China. "Biscuits" as she called them, although they look like plain old Lorna Doone cookies to me, are acceptable so long as they are not too crumbly as to soil your clothes.

During the last "girls night" Amelia and I treated ( or tortured, depending on your perception) Pam with one entire season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We both asked her quizzically why we'd never heard her say things like, "bugger" and "shag" and "sod off" or our personal favorite, "bloody hell", like our favorite Spike? She looked shocked. She turned, picked up her bottle of True Blood (pinky finger out for good measure) and took a delicate drink. She turned back to us, with a dainty smile on her face, "Because I speak the Queen's English, not the slang of the destitute."

Amelia and I busted out with the giggles. The whole thing would've gone over a lot better had Pam not spent the better half of the last one hundred years acclimating (I love my word of the day calender) to the slow gentle drawl of a Southern Belle.

But Pam had always been honest with me, eager to answer my questions about her past. For that matter, so had Bill Compton right up to the point of talking about that bitch of a maker he would run off to. In fact a lot of vamps opened up to me pretty easy and loved to talk about their human lives. Thanks to all my new multi-cultural vampire "friends", I'd be hell to beat on History essay if I ever made it to college. Seems the only person who didn't want to take that walk down memory lane with me was the one I wanted to know the most about. And the one who should want to tell me, being his bonded and all.

Just as I was about to ask Pam about Eric, she turned and lifted her head to the sky and inhaled deeply. She turned those piercing eyes on me and asked with a tone of confusion, "Sookie, has my Master been here to see you?"

"What? No!" I all but spit at her. "I haven't seen him. Pam, you know that, I think he's avoiding me."

Pam sighed, "Yes, he is different of late. He is distracted worse than usual..." her voice dropped off.

"Distracted? Pam, did you just call me a 'distraction?' Is that what I am to him, after all I've done." I felt the hot tears, about to spill over onto my reddened cheeks. Where was all this emotion coming from?

"Sookie, dear, don't be dramatic." Pam said in her ever pragmatic voice. "Anything that does not keep Eric's attention 100% focused on the politics at hand, may get us all killed. So yes my dear it is a distraction. It does not mean it can not be a "good distraction" at some point," She winked and allowed some fang to show. Leave it to Pam to use vampire horniness to make all the bad go away. I should remind her that's not very lady-like.

I wiped the tears that threatened to spill away with the back of my long sleeved Merlotte's shirt. I looked up at her again, a half apologetic smile on my face, "I'm sorry Pam, I didn't mean...I mean, Do you really think he was here?"

"Not now", she answered still scanning the night sky and surrounding woods, "but recently".

"Does he have business with Sam?" I asked, grasping at straws. Six months ago the thought of Eric spying on me would've sent me into a fit of rage. Now as much as I hated to admit it, I just really wanted to see him. Damn bond.

Pam huffed, "My Master's only business with the shifter would be in regards to you. But I don't think that's the case. If it will ease your mind, I will simply call him". Pam shrugged casually and pulled out her red cell phone that was nearly identical to mine. Must be a Fangtasia standard issue. With her lightening fast speed she hit one button and put her phone to her ear, "Hello, this is Pam, may I..."

Now not everybody would do what I was about to do, but I didn't earn the nickname Crazy Sookie for nothing and I was desperate. I reached forward and snatched the cell phone right out of Pam's hand and slammed the flip phone shut.

I know vampires don't breathe, but I swear Pam gasped...GASPED, at my actions. She stood there staring at me slack-jawed and eyes open wide. It was like she was trying to decide whether or not to kill me or laugh at me.

I was pacing back and forth at this point, "Now, you just wait a minute Pam," I started. I figured I needed to speak my peace before she decided to drain me dry for my insult and then dab the corners of her mouth delicately with a lacy handkerchief. " I am in no mood to deal with Eric Northman tonight. I just worked 5 shifts in a row and my feet, my body and my mind are exhausted. If he insists on flyin' around checking up on me and peaking in my windows then the only thing he's gonna see tonight is me watching....what's that you have?...." I grabbed for the DVD's that Pam had been holding in her hand. She flipped them over to display them like a winning poker hand while the other arm crossed her mid section. She had an amused smirk on her face and was trying very hard not to laugh out loud.

I selected a DVD from her hand..."27 Dresses? Yeah Pam, no thanks. Don't need a reminder that at this point that I'll most likely never get to be a bride." I threw the pretty pink box over my shoulder and selected another. "Generation Kill? Pam, you brought a war movie to girl's night?" I was ranting and rambling almost incoherently at this point.

Pam shrugged again and said almost as an after thought, "Colbert is hot", like that made it ok.

"Ok fine, if Eric Northman insists on peaking in my windows, then he will see me watching 'Generation Kill' and checking out hot Marines.!" I put extra emphasis on the word Marine then asked Pam quietly, "they are Marines right?"

"Mmmhmmm" she hummed a bit sarcastically. "Can we go now, or would you like to stand here and make further declarations to my Master..who can not hear you..because he is no longer here." She took one tapered finger and pointed it in a circular motion outlying the surrounding areas and then pointed to her feet with the word, "here".

I sighed and uncrossed my arms letting them hang limply at my sides, "Fine, I'm sorry. Let's go, Amelia is probably wondering what's keeping us". Which was probably true and if that was the case, her wonder would turn to worry and worry would turn into a clean house and maybe some homemade cookies. I reached for the car door again.

"I'll drive" Pam stated matter of factually.

"Fine. Drive" I muttered. Boy this was turning out to be quite a girl's night.

The first five minutes of the drive were painfully quiet. Pam doesn't breathe so it's not like I can judge what's going on in her head by the speed or depth of her breathing. I opened my mouth to speak. Pam spoke instead.

"Yes, Sookie, he does. Care for you, think of you often, wonder how to get through to you, wonder if he can protect you." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. I knew as well as she did that she was running a great risk even talking to me about Eric's feelings towards me. I was silently grateful.

I sat in stone silence. I could feel my eyes welling up with tears and my shoulders slumped forward. I was so push and the pull of all the emotions, anger, fear, love, loss, confusion, all seemed to land on my shoulders at once. If Eric truly could feel me through the bond, no wonder he stayed away. I was an emotional force not to be reckoned with. I heard the familiar crunch of my gravel driveway, the driveway that Eric had paid for, under the tires of Pam's black sedan. I finally spoke, "Thank you, Pam".

She merely smiled and nodded her head towards the house. Amelia met us at the porch. Pam glided up the steps gracefully while I waddled slowly behind. "There you guys are, I started to think you were bailing on me. Sookie, I made tea and Pam, I'll heat that Tru Blood for you." It was then that Amelia noticed my less than excited, tear stained face as I came into view under the porch light. Her face dropped and she reached for me. "Sookie, what...." Pam cut in between us and interrupted pointing another delicate finger in my direction.

"This one needs a gin and tonic and a bath. You and I can prepare for the movies while Sookie relaxes." If I didn't know any better I'd swear Pam was glamouring Amelia into fixing me a drink, running my bath and not asking any questions. Whatever works.

****************

"Amelia, would you please excuse me, I need to step outside and make a call?" Pam asked pleasantly.

"Sure thing, just don't let your blood get cold" Amelia replied. She and Pam had once had a "sort of" relationship so they were both pretty used the others routines. Amelia knew that regardless of what was going on, and I do mean _regardless_, Pam was obliged to check in.

"I won't be long." Pam knew she would have limited time until Sookie was out of her much needed bath and back to entertaining. Her Southern manners simply would not allow it regardless of her personal turmoil. Pam had to smile to herself over that, _who's the proper lady now_? She had just stepped through the kitchen door onto the darkened back porch when she caught her Master's scent again.

"Eric?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Master", she asked again, "are you there? No answer.

Pam whipped out her cell phone reminding herself of the display of bravado that Sookie had displayed by taking it away from her. That girl was as strong-willed and stubborn as Eric was. No wonder he was having such a tough time getting through to her. His charms weren't going to be enough , he was going to have to back it up this time. And Sookie, in Pam's opinion, deserved no less.

The phone rang once before a deep voice answered at the other end. "Northman"

"Eric, it's Pam, I'm with Sookie." she answered.

"Sookie", Eric questioned, "Is she in danger, is she hurt?"

"Not physically, but her human emotions are causing her great pain. As much as she will not admit, she needs you. And quite frankly Master, you need her."

Pam tensed as she heard the low growl of anger through the phone, "Pam, you know I can not come to her, not with the new regime still looking over my shoulder. I can not and I will not put her in anymore danger than necessary by coming to her now. I would sooner fall upon my own sword than risk a hair on her beautiful head. You must make her understand this."

"You can't come to her, but you can spy on her at the shifter's bar and again this very night at her home where she sits leaking tears into her bath water? I know your scent Master, I know you have been here." Pam was a bit shocked at her own insubordination. Did she just call out her maker, her Master over a human woman? All this time spent in Sookie's company, maybe the "crazy" was wearing off.

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening and lasted for what seemed an eternity.

"My Child", Eric spoke calmly and yet his confusion was unmistakable, "I have not been to Bon Temps in over 3 months."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you to everyone who responded with positive reviews. It's scary to put something out there that you worked so hard on and not know how people will respond, so thanks again. I'm trying to make an effort not to leave cliffhangers (believe me, I hate them too) Bear with me.

And to borrow from one of my favorite authors, I should include: I don't own any of the characters included, Charlaine Harris does.

As always constructive criticism is welcome

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Chapter 2

Pam silently closed her red flip phone and held it up to her firmly pursed lips as she replayed the conversation with Eric over in her head. He had proclaimed his innocence in using subterfuge to get closer to Sookie and she, for all intents and purposes, had called him a liar. It hurt him, frustrated him, angered him beyond belief. Had it not been for the quality of modern technology, Pam was certain that her cell phone would have exploded from the growl emanating from her beloved Maker's throat. The pull and thrall of Eric's blood in her veins responded with instant regret and she had grasped onto the white chipping paint of the porch beam to keep from falling obediently to her knees and begging his forgiveness. Her nails dug into the wood and anchored her upright as more flakes of white paint scattered like snowflakes across her hands. And yet she stood. Either by her own will or Eric's eventual calming, the wave of remorse that had crashed into her subsided. His last words,

" Ensure her safety, then come to me."

The line was dead after that. It was as silent as the proverbial grave that Pam would've been long rotting in had Eric not made the decision to turn her all those years ago and free her from the shackles and constraint of her restricted and gilded life. As much as Sookie loved to tease her about her "uppity" roots (as Sookie called them and Pam allowed because A: it was "uppity and B: If it amused Sookie and lit up her angelic face, Pam was happy to oblige) she had loathed her human existence. Eric had given her a life she could never imagine. He had given her freedom from both life and death. He had lavished wealth and affection upon her. He had shielded her from danger and taught her in the finest skills of shielding herself and protecting him as well. He had opened her eyes to the art of love making and did not balk when her tastes drifted toward the explicit. More importantly, when the time came that she was strong enough and educated enough in the ways of her new life, he set her free from himself. He encouraged her to make her own way and requested only that she return to him when she desired or when he need her.

He had been her father, her protector, her teacher, her lover and her brother at arms. All these things and more Eric Northman had been to her at one time or another over the course of centuries. But he had never been a liar.

Pam leaned her delicate blond head against the old, clap board siding of Sookie's family home. She sighed deeply. Not because she needed to, in fact it was a forced response. Her experience with humans had been limited for sure, but she had seen Sookie become master of the exasperated sigh in an effort to grasp whatever current dilemma she was facing. Pam hoped on some small level it would grant her perspective on the situation at hand. It couldn't hurt. She tried it again, sucking a deep unnecessary breath in, and then blowing out forcefully while contemplating all possible meanings of the events of the night. Her conclusion stunned her.

Eric _was_ lying.

No other option made sense and Pam scrambled to make even the most ridiculous seem plausible. Perhaps the bond between Sookie and Eric is so strong that she is unconsciously drawing part of him here? Doubtful. She smirked inwardly and came to the conclusion that Sookie's subconscious was likely just as damn obstinate as her conscious self and Eric, for his part, well it was just as unlikely that he would pull his head out of his glorious, undead Viking ass to notice that she called to him unless her life was in immediate danger. And it wasn't. She had seen to that first hand. Her mind wandered again. Fairy magic? Pam remembered that Sookie's great-grandfather Niall (the grand and delicious smelling Fairy Prince) had been able to mask his scent to keep any and all surrounding vampires from fucking and the devouring (not necessarily in that order) everyone in sight. Perhaps, just perhaps the Prince had found a way to not only mask his own scent but mimic Eric's in order to ward off other unscrupulous vampires?

Pam raised her hands and rubbed hard into her delicate eye sockets before an unexpected laughter escaped from her mouth. She began chastising herself out loud.

"Get it together Pamela, what you have just described is the vampire equivalent of pissing on trees to mark your territory." Her very active imagination flashed a mental picture of the noble fairy prince in all his glowing glory sneaking gracefully around the perimeter of the wood line relieving himself on the shrubbery and channeling her Master's essence. She moved her hand to her mouth to stifle a snort. No, no, this wasn't the right answer either.

Her mind filtered aimlessly in and out of scenarios: Fairies? Witches? Blood bond? Doppelganger? Hmmm, doppelganger, the possibility of two Erics had never occurred to her. But after being submitted to several seasons of Buffy the Vampire slayer at Sookie and Amelia's insistence she had discovered that the very awkwardly attractive flame-haired witch had a double that was a vampire. Very, very interesting. In fact there had been a time when the prospect of two Eric's would've caused her mind and body to explode with unbridled lust. She paused reflectively and imagined one Eric behind her and one in front and she torn wildly, carelessly bewteen them. She smiled again and allowed herself to remember that her Master had indeed been a phenomenal lover. She knew first hand what it was that Sookie was missing and calling out for every night, even if the young lady refused to acknowledge it for herself and she felt herself nodding in accordance. But her time as Eric's bed partner was a century ago and concluded that as then, now, one Eric Northman was plenty, even if it was a gracious plenty.

The cold hard truth of it was much less amusing than all things imagined. There were two things that Pam knew to be absolutely true, vampires have very in tune and heightened senses. As if proving the point to herself she scanned the surrounding area with her piercing blue eyes, seeing clearly through the dark of night through the woods. She spied a skunk near the edge of the property line nearing the cemetery that bordered Sookie and Compton's homesteads. She then tuned her hearing in until she heard not just the crunch of it's little paws scratching at the earth, but also it's steady heart beat. With her dainty nose turned upward she sniffed the air, breathing in not only the pungent smell of the furry black and white animal, but could smell that it was eating the remains of litter that a careless visitor had tossed aside.

Point two, the scent and essence of a vampire's blood was nearly as much of a calling card as a human fingerprint. It was the remnant of the remaining blood that had given them human life combined with whatever magic kept them all from facing mortal death. And because she was made from Eric's blood, she knew his calling card all too well. And by God he was here...denials be damned.

Disheartened with her discovery she turned to go inside. She found Amelia waiting, stretched out on the couch. Her tapered althetic legs wrapped in navy blue yoga pants and her white socked feet out in front of her.

She had her arms crossed in front of her and her cute, shaggy bobbed head that always smelled like crisp fresh apples thanks to her shampoo, turned toward the television watching previews for upcoming releases. If she was impatient to start girls night, it didn't show. Pam could see that Amelia had finished her given (commanded) chore of seeing Sookie off to the bath and had since returned and set up the spaces surrounding the television set with bowls full of snacks including the offensive smelling onion snacks that she had prided herself so much in remembering to bring. For a moment Pam looked upon the young woman with feelings of supreme tenderness that shocked even her. Granted she and Amelia had quite the interesting arrangement when she first accompanied Sookie back from New Orleans. But as Pam could remember it was based on an arrangement with a cat and some kittens and some other shenanigans that Pam could've really cared less about at the time. Now however, she found that just as with Sookie, she had a genuine feeling of caring for Amelia. As odd as it was, she found herself trying to be pleasing (to borrow a word from the Sookie vernacular) to them. She mentally included exhibit A: foul smelling, onion flavor crisps in the bowl to her right.

Amelia heard Pam slip through the entryway and back into the living room to stand behind the couch. She knew enough from her arrangement with Pam and also from living with Sookie all these months that vampires were pretty secretive in general and you had to tip toe around certain information.

"Sookie's still in the bath, everything ok?" , she asked.

"Yes, everything is fine, just checking in, " Pam put on her best _'I'm not being entirely truthful to cover my ass' smile_and continued, "Since Sookie is still...relaxing, I was hoping we could talk a bit Amelia." She came to sit with her annoying yet endearing perfect posture in the old worn chair across from Amelia.

Amelia knew enough about Pam that she knew that smile of hers meant nothing but trouble. She only hoped that Pam wasn't encouraged by the amount of time they had spent together to think that they could slip back into the easy comfort of "friends with benefits". After all, Amelia had been most recently been courted by one Tray Dawson and she really, really liked the man. She decided that honesty, especially with vampires, was always the best policy.

"Listen Pam, sure we can talk, but I need you know that as much as I enjoy spending time with you, I'm kind of involved..."

Pam held up a delicate hand to stop Amelia from further embarrassing herself. She set her face and smiled again while inwardly rolling her eyes and becoming increasingly agitated. And vampires are accused of always thinking about sex? Hmmph.

"No, Amelia," she began, "not about that. I wanted to talk to you about your magic, your craft. You have been practicing, getting stronger I understand."

Amelia's face showed obvious signs of relief, "Oh, yeah. You know I've been working with Octavia for some time and we've been getting together pretty frequently with some of the coven members you met before. In fact, Octavia is off on a two week excursion with the New Orleans coven. They went off to the French countryside to study with a group of really powerful witches who work elemental magic."

It was Pam's turned to look intrigued, "Elemental magic?"

"Yeah, you know: fire, water, air, earth, the elements of nature. Some of the witches even claim that you can use the elements to bend time because it is an element too. I really would've like to have gone, but...." Amelia's voice trailed off with obvious disappointment.

"But?" Pam inquired. She then questioned, "Sookie?"

Amelia sighed, "Yeah, she's been in such a funk lately that I couldn't stand the thought of not being here. Besides, Octavia will teach me everything she learned when she gets back. It'll be fine."

Pam was impressed. Amelia's loyalty to Sookie was becoming as high as her own. Good

"And the wards on the house, do they still remain?' Pam asked with a bit of trepidation.

"The wards we placed when de Castro took over and Victor was here?"

Pam nodded in agreement

"Yep, still up," Amelia added enthusiastically, "it's a level 4 ward, strong magic, no worries there."

Careful with this next one Pamela, she thought to herself, "I'm surprised Eric has not been here to ask you to increase the warding with Victor still in town and the situation still so precarious." She waited, non-breathing breath bated for Amelia's reply.

Amelia scoffed, "ha, no. First, Eric Northman has bigger fish to fry when he comes to this house, **IF** he should ever come back to this house. Second, I told you Pam, the wards are strong. Even if I could increase it, and I can't alone, any higher and it would singe the ends of your hair when you came in. And that's with an invitation."

"Your magic is becoming very strong, Amelia. I am very proud." Pam smiled her biggest smile at the pixie beauty, no pretenses, no "covering her ass". This time, she genuinely meant it.

*********************************************

Pam was making quick work of the drive back to Shreveport. She had an ETA of about 20 minutes to Fangtasia's back door where she would meet Eric and he would undoubtedly demand answers, and so would she. She had begged off girls night with Amelia and asked her to please pass along her regrets to Sookie. She had also asked a favor.

_"Amelia, I need you to do something for me, for Sookie." she started._

_Amelia turned to her a little surprised, a little apprehensive, "Sure, Pam, you know I'll do whatever I can for her."_

_Pam asked carefully, "Can you make her sleep? Is there a spell, a tonic you can give her? I am beginning to worry for her well being and I think a restful nights sleep and peaceful dreams would help her tremendously. Can you do that?_

_Amelia, always eager to practice her craft and 99.9% sure that what she had in mind wouldn't turn Sookie into a cat or otherwise, beamed at Pam, "I have the perfect thing."_

Minutes were flying by as Pam's sleek black sedan hugged the back roads through the parishes on the way to Shreveport. She had intentionally taken the long way around to give her more time to think, more time to accrue anticipated dread for her meeting with Eric less than 10 minutes from now. Two emotions plagued her, the nagging guilt and regret that she for once in two hundred years didn't believe him, and the searing pain that it caused. Her conversation with Amelia had unleashed far more questions than answers. It was obvious though, Eric was undoubtly sneaking around and spying on the very lovely Stookie Stackhouse and he was also vehemently denying it. And it could cost him everything, especially now with de Castro's regime hovering at his backside. Thier truce had been an uneasy one at best. Any sign of weakness, (and loving a mortal woman was a weakness as far as they were concerned telepath or not,) could cost Eric his livelihood, his fortune, his life and the lives of those he protected.

There was only one logical conclusion that Pam could come to. Eric had, as promised in his state of amnesia, chosen Sookie over everything. He had chosen the beloved telepath over his entire being and purpose, which included, Pam thought solemnly, me.

With that thought she pulled into the back parking lot of Fangtasia seeing Eric's pristine red corvette parked alone in the empty lot. She rose from her car and straightened herself. She walked around to the passenger side door to gather her bag (she may need a change of clothes after her encounter with Eric). The night whipped around her hair lifting the faint scent of Sookie's lingering perfume from the passenger seat. With clarity, she remembered the ride home from the shifter's bar. Hadn't she herself chosen Sookie over Eric when she divulged his private feelings to make her tears for him stop?

Never one to back down from a fight, even with her 1000 year old maker, Pam headed stead fast toward the employees only entrance. She could only smile at her new found revelation of how deep her friendship with Eric's bonded had grown.

TBC (I'm already hard at work on Chapter 3)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. You are all awesome.

This is a little bit of a transition piece, don't worry we're getting to where we need to be. It's a little fluffy but there's a little bit of info to be gained.

**I don't own any of the characters below, Charlaine Harris does, I'm just borrowing them and hoping I'm doing her justice

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Now this was more like it. It may have taken a little longer than I had originally planned, but here I was soaking chin deep in bubbles. I'm not all that tall, but in this old bath tub I have to scrunch up my knees to fit all the way down. It' s not near as big as the bath tub at Bill's house, not that I'm complaining or even reminiscing about that. Scrunched or not, this was still the most peaceful and wonderful 20 minutes of my whole day.

Even though I don't like snooping through my friend's heads, I did a quick check on Amelia downstairs. She was worried that Pam was going to put the moves on her, but she was still excited that she had asked her about her witch stuff. Good, they were doing just fine without me. I felt free to continue blowin' my bubbles and finishing off my gin and tonic that Amelia had set on the side of the tub. I never drank alcohol at home, (ok once when Jason and I were in high school but that was a wine cooler that he stole from the Quik Mart and we split it. He told me it was supposed to taste like strawberries, it didn't and Gran busted our collective behinds for our troubles) But this gin and tonic was definitely hitting the spot.

I felt lucky, if you can imagine that, that I had found two friends that not only accepted me for who I was but also had accepted each other. Anything that made my life easier these days was a welcome addition. I'm not prone to whining, as Gran used to say, "don't complain about the thorns in the rose bush, Sookie. Just be thankful for the roses." Of course, that was usually when my fingers were pricked and bleeding from trying to help her prune her prized rose garden, but I'm not stupid, I know what she meant. Gran knew almost better than anybody how I struggled with my telepathy and she never judged me and she never let me feel sorry for myself. I missed her so much. I felt my eyes welling up with tears again for the third time tonight.

No you don't Sookie Stackhouse. I wiped my eyes with the back of one my bubble bath free hands. I'd seen too many folks down at Merlotte's get on a good crying jag after they'd had a few drinks and started. Not tonight, I'd had just enough of emotions I didn't want or need. I reached over to flip on the radio that Amelia had brought in with her when she brought my drink. (After drying my hands on the fluffy white towel, I have enough troubles without adding electrocution to the list). I sank back down into the creamy, relaxing bubbles letting the warm water soak into my weary skin. Amelia had used the new honey/almond bubble bath that she'd made for me last week. Aside from becoming a powerful witch she was also becoming a budding entrepreneur with her homemade natural remedies and all things to make you feel good. She had even made me a honey and sugar exfoliating scrub that left my skin squeaky clean and soft as a baby. If I had the heart to let Pam continue to glamour her for my benefit, between the two of them they could open one heck of a day spa. Or in Pam's case, a night spa.

I giggled at the thought of a vampire run spa, open to vampire clientele knowing thier predilection (that's actually tomorrow's word of the day, I flipped ahead when I was brushing my teeth) for sleeping in the dirt when they're wounded. I figured it wasn't that much different than those mud baths I had seen on tv. Maybe vampires and people weren't all that different anyway.

Between the thought of the vampire spa, the sounds of whatever pop sensation ruled the airways today and my gin and tonic, I was starting to relax. Hell, I was really starting to enjoy myself. It's no secret that I can't sing, but I can dance. And there I found myself still chin deep in my honey/almond bubbles swaying back and forth and dancing the best I could inside my tub to Britney Spears. I found myself thinking at one point, "Oh, honey, let me tell you about a Circus". I had tub-danced through about 3 songs when I realized that I was having maybe too good of time. Between being so physically worn out and working on a basically empty stomach, my gin and tonic was starting to make me feel a little fuzzy. Yes ma'am, Sookie Stackhouse was getting "Tipsy". I laughed out loud....oooh I love that song.

Right on cue, the station had to break. It's ok, I needed a break. You'd be suprised how winded you can get just dancing in the confined space. I relaxed back to my previously scrunched position smiling to myself, everything was going to be just fine.

_This is Eric Northman_

I sat straight up in the tub and flung both my arms up over my head in defeat sending a spray of honey/almond bubble water cascading around the room. Yes, I thought, of course it is.

_I'd like to personally invite you to visit my bar Fangtasia in Shreveport_

_We are in Tuesdays through Thursdays from sunset until 2am_

_and have drinks and entertainment for all.....tastes._

_It would be my pleasure to...have you._

_Come out, come out wherever you are._

Jesus Christ, Shepard of Judea. Pam told me that she had convinced Eric to do some commericials for the club. But the way he drew out the words taste, and "it would be my pleasure to have you?" Did he have to be so...so damn.....ugh infuriatingly, unabashedly sexy??

Well of course he does, that's Eric isn't it? All sex and power and secrets. I imagined him standing in front of me as he had so many times. His massive 6'5 beautiful Viking frame crowned with his long, wheat blond hair. The perfect alabaster of his skin contrasting against his penetrating blue eyes. His chest and arms...mmm, that body chiseled in all the right places. It easily made Adonis green with envy. And six pack doesn't even begin to cover it... that perfect V in his lower stomach that almost seemed to point to...well you know. Top that off with that smile of his while he watched you, watching him, taking it all in. Whoo, lord save me. That smile, even with fangs (and maybe because of, I'm not going down that road) was maybe the sexiest thing about him. With that smile, Eric could talk the devil out of hell and all hopes of heaven and have him thanking him for such a good deal.

I was starting to feel that familiar ache beneath the water. The ache that Bill had awakened but Eric...well Eric was a different story all together

Hey, I can help it. First of all it's been a long time and I'm a normal healthy adult female. Second, as previously mentioned I may or may not be on the verge of becoming drunk and we all know about those inhibitions when alcohol is involved.

But there was another Eric too, I remembered. The Eric that was with me during his time in hiding from Hallow. The Eric that was so beautifully broken and open. The Eric that had been my friend, my lover and became in time my everything. Now he remembered everything and both Erics had been painfully absent leaving a Viking sized hole in my chest. Pam said earlier tonight that she thought he'd been slinking around. But.......ugh. I reached with my foot and flipped the release holding the bath water. When I was a little girl, I used to hurry out of the tub when Gran flipped the release because I was afraid I'd go down the drain with the water. Now, I just wished that was possible. Bath time was most definitely over.

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Eric Northman sat behind the desk in his office at Fangtasia, he ran his large hand back and forth absent mindfully over the surface feeling divots and scratches in the wood grain. He silently congratulated himself on not bringing another, more valuable, piece of furniture into the bar as things in his office had a tendency to end up more than a little worse for wear. All things in his life, furniture aside, had become more than a little worse for wear since his introduction to one Miss Sookie Stackhouse several years ago. He remembered with fondness the first time he met her. She was beautiful to be sure, in her white dress with red flowers. She smelled of innocence and sunshine. He was reminded of the story of Little Red Riding Hood and very much imagined himself to be the wolf. But then she spoke. She told him with that beguiling innocence that she "wasn't sweet". He was bewitched. He had been mocking her southern hospitality, she stood her ground and had none of it. Looking back, it was the spark that ignited him.

The bar was closed now, it always was on Mondays. As lucrative as it was to have a business open six nights a week, especially one as popular with tourists as Fangtasia, he just couldn't bear sitting on his mockery of a throne accepting feigned fealty from humans who had no idea what he was capable of. He also found himself sickened by the throngs of cheap women who flung themselves at him nightly. Their declarations of lust all sounded like mewling cats in heat to his ancient ears. There was nothing they could offer, nothing they could promise that he had the vaguest intention of pursuing. The old Eric Northman would've fucked them for all they were worth (which would not have been much) and at least fed from them before discarding them unceremoniously back on to the street. Now at their approach, he turned his head and refused to even acknowledge thier existence. And why should he? He had tasted the better part of heaven with his bonded, with Sookie. Nothing ever again would suffice. He had decided that he would spend the rest of his unnatural life drinking that metallic synthetic slop or feed from lesser vampires for strength before he ever again allowed the blood of an unworthy fangbanger cross his full lips.

Pam had said he was bad for business. Her final straw came when he had a petite blond forcibly removed from Fangtasia simply because the girl had the audacity to look too much like Sookie. Pam had told him that he was "sulking" and behaving in a manner beneath him. He knew it to be true but on some level didn't care. He found himself long dwelling on the time spent in Sookie's care and the consequences that came after. He had known long before the final bonding at Rhodes and long before he remembered the events of those precious days with her that he could not be without her. She had accepted his offer to bond under false pretenses and with more than a fair amount of scrutiny. She incorrectly thought his intentions were to bind her life, her will, her love to him. It was quite the opposite. Eric's only true goal was was to bind his life, his will his love to her. She was the spark that put life back into his unbeating heart. He drank in each blissful memory of her and savored them like a condemned man's last meal before the gallows called.

He would, as promised, give up everything...for her.

He leaned forward and rested his forehead on his clasped hands, the muscles of his forearms flexing under the added weight. He closed his eyes and honed in on his beloved bonded. Her feelings had been a rollercoaster of late. He had tried, often in vain, to shield her from receiving his emotions. Tonight he sensed a peace about her. Good. The selfish part of him longed to fly to her and wrap his entire being into her embrace and absorb some of that peace for his own. He couldn't of course, he wouldn't and he hadn't. Despite his child's arguments to the contrary he had not been to see her, much to his own detriment. Had he not loved Sookie with the force that he did, had his age, wisdom and strength not prevented it, he would have long ago run to her. It most likely would've resulted in a momentary release for him followed by an eternity of pain. Sookie was in constant danger because of him. The thought of Pam's declarations scared him, and in a thousand years, very little else had. He knew Felipe de Castro was a ruthless ruler. He had all but wiped Louisiana clean of vampires with exception of Eric and those under his immediate protection. King de Castro knew that Eric was a formidable ally and that had aided him well when the takeover of Sophie-Anne's territory was completed, but most importantly he knew the value of Eric's bonded. One slip, one false step and Sookie's fragile mortal life could be taken from her. He had sent Pam, his second in command to watch over Sookie. It had been a most opportune arrangement..until tonight.

Eric replayed the conversation with Pam in his mind. He felt his ire growing out of control. Never, in the entire time since he had made her had she shown such insubordination, such indifference to him. He had encouraged her to become her own person and was endlessly amused with her veracity and verve. Even when she turned it on him and had teased him relentlessly, he could never have been truly displeased with his child. Her insistence that he was lying to her was too much, even for a relationship such as theirs, to endure. Pam would answer for her insolence, and soon.

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I wrapped myself up into the white fuzzy towel and popped the remaining ice cubes left in my gin and and tonic glass into my mouth before heading to my room to get dressed. Aside from the interruption by one Mr. Eric Northman during my peaceful bath, (and yes I'm talking about the radio commercial and not _other_ interruptions that he had caused. If I get started thinking on those, I'll never make it down stairs) I was feeling pretty good. I put on my new, well newer, blue and white flannel pajama pants and a blue ribbed tank top. I didn't need to look in the mirror to see what everyone else had been complaining about. So I had lost a few pounds, big deal. My curvier size 10 was now a more slender, more athletic looking size 8. I got up and turned sideways in the mirror. Yep, still got it. The only tell tale sign that I was in the middle of some sort of internal struggle was my eyes. They were duller to be sure, but I was tired. And I know I have a habit of rubbing my eyes, but had I walked around all day looking like Rocky Raccoon and no one had the decency to speak up about?

_Knock, Knock_

Startled, I jumped and listened before answering.

"Sookie, it's Amelia. Can I come in?"

Well that was certainly odd. Amelia and I were close to be sure, but we always respected each other's privacy. I can't remember a time when we just visted each other's bedrooms to gossip.

I walked to the door and opened it to see Amelia with a smile on her face and a mug of some kind of steaming hot liquid in her hands.

"Hey Amelia, I was just on my way downstairs, you and Pam didn't start without me did you."

Her face dropped a little, uh-oh. "Pam left, Sookie. She thought that it would be better if you got some sleep tonight and maybe we could catch up later." Her face returned to a smile. She was doing her damnedest to tell me what I needed without actually coming out and telling me what I needed.

"She actually asked me to...umm.. make you some warm tea and ask you to please rest." She looked guilty as sin.

"Tea?" I questioned, "is that right?" I took a quick dip into her mind and heard her words, "_tonic, potion"_

"AHA!" I shouted, sometimes I am suprised at my sleuth work even though I do have an unfair advantage. "She asked you to put a spell on me?"

Amelia sighed in defeat, "Sookie it is NOT a spell, it's valerian tea. Think of it as an herbal sleeping pill"

I cocked one eyebrow in her direction still not entirely sure. "Amelia Broadwater, do you swear."

"Yes, yes, I swear now drink".

I took the mug, still steaming, from her hands and took a careful sip. It wasn't bad. Before I knew it, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I giggled again at the thought of Pam and Amelia's spa, I just needed to lay down. My head felt like it was going in slow motion as it descended into the fluff of my down pillow. Hmmm, this is so nice, it feels almost like floating. Somewhere deep down inside I feel shards of anger trying to fight and claw to the surface. But it's not mine so I let go. I only feel peace, I only feel exhaustion taking over and my body shutting down. Is this what it feels like to die for the day to a vampire. No more fight, no more care, just floating?

I think I'm not alone anymore. I feel someone with me, it's familiar, it's him.

But it's not.

The voice, it whispers, hovering just above my ear.

I know it, but I can't place it.

_You are stronger than you know_, it whispers, _for our women have to be._

I feel the light caress upon my cheek.

_Mitt svärd, mitt blod till din ära_

I am lost, falling deep into the blanket of sleep.

I am safe

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I was a little apprehensive about posting this so soon and leaving it on the shorter side. But Pam was ready to have it out. Who am I to tell her no? I tried very hard not to leave you all hanging because everyone has been so wonderful with reviews. But be aware, I have to work all weekend so the next update may be a few days. Again, I thank you so much for all your kindness and encouragement.

* I don't own any of the characters described below, Charlaine Harris does.

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Chapter 4.

Pam felt her key give in the back door of Fangtasia. With ease the door turned and she pulled it open with the anticipation of battle. She felt her fangs run down as the door shut quickly behind her. The atmosphere was electric, she could feel the fine hairs on her graceful neck rise and meet the magnetic pulse in the air. Everything, from the darkened hallway to the gentle hum of the coolers seemed alive of it's own volition. Eric was here and he was waiting.

Even in the blackness of the hallway, she knew which way she was going. Two doors down, past the supply room and the human restroom on the right lay Eric's office. Once there, she would either meet her final death, or she would have her answers from her beloved Master. Either way she was ready. She stalked the narrow corridor like a feral animal. She was thankful that she was dressed in her "home" attire rather than her Fangtasia night wear. The padded soles of her loafers made barely a sound as she made her way closer and closer to the office door.

She stood outside the closed office door and listened. Just as she knew with absolute certainity that Eric waited on the other side, he knew she was out there. A wave of saddness rolled over her.

_What am I doing? This is Eric, my Maker, my Master_. The twinge of regret was undeniable. She was torn between her loyalty to Eric and her loyalty to Sookie. A loyalty that he himself had placed in her on both accounts. She could no less allow him to level everything he had built with his own self-destructive streak, then she could allow him to continue to torture Sookie's spirit with his absence from her life and lies that may lead to her death. This had to end now.

With iron resolve, Pam pushed the door to the office open with wild abandon. She thought she had found it empty.

"Eric?", she began to question. He voice was choked off in an instant. He was on her, throwing his entire 6'5 frame into her smaller one. She was knocked to the floor by the collision. She had always known that her master was the stronger one, but she had never truly tested it until now. She scrambled wildly to her feet, stanched and poised for another attack, fangs fully extended. Eric with all his strength grabbed her tightly around the throat and raised her to his eye level effortlessly. His piercing blue eyes boring holes into her. His fangs also fully extended. He growled, coming in nearer to her face. Pam's eyes grew large, she struggled in vain to turn her head from his stare. She found herself kicking violently against the musculature of his thighs. He shook her head back to face him. He wants to look into my eyes as he kills me, she thought.

She longed to speak, but his massive hand around her throat prevented it. She mouthed his name, begged with her lips and her pale blue eyes for him to stop. He broke his steely gaze from hers and dropped his glorious blond head for a moment. Pam felt her body relax. She stopped her violent assault on his legs and even though his grip on her throat was still over-bearing, he allowed her just enough release to lean her head back against the solid wall behind her. Her reprieve was brief. Within seconds, Eric's grip tightened again. She found their eyes locked again in that timeless dance of predator and prey. He brought his forearm to her face. She thought he intended to strike her. Instead he turned his wrist to her mouth, covering her lips with his would be pulse point.

"Drink". he demanded.

She again felt her eyes widen. Drink? Was she so wounded from this exchange that he thought she needed extra strength? She apparently delayed too long in her query.

"DRINK", he growled. She searched his face, questioning his motives, finding no answer only raw regret in his eyes. She pondered all possible meanings of what it meant to drink from another vampire. None of them fit.

He spoke to her again, calmer this time his eyes returning from the fire rimmed sapphire daggers to their normal, albeit gorgeous, depths of cerulean blue.

"My child, drink of me and know the truth".

Though terrified at the possible outcome, Pam opened her mouth and allowed her sharp fangs to graze the sensitive skin. Eric leaned his head back and hissed loudly. Pam took her cue with ease and fell into Eric's direction. She bit...hard. His blood flowed out like a great river washing over her tongue and filling her with his taste. She allowed her delicate hands to come up and pull his arm in closer and she pulled in harder with her mouth. She was awash in the ecstasy that was her Master's blood. She knew nothing, felt nothing but him. They had both drank from each other before, minuscule drops in times of passion. But never this much. Probably not even this much when he took her mortal life and replaced it with his own. With each pulsating pull of her mouth she was sent to a new heightened emotion. She began to see flashes of light, memories of a life not her own filled her vision. She gasped, she must stop...must stop...NOW!

Eric now panting released her and she fell into a limp clump at his feet. Her mind was spinning, the visions still swirling and taking form.

- _A snow covered village beneath a majestic mountain bordered by a crystal, frozen lake. People scattered, going about their daily lives. Walking toward her, her master. clothed in narrow fitted pants and a blue tunic embroidered with gold threads covered his wide chest. His hair the same, yet different, iridescent against the shining of the sun held intricate braiding near his scalp. He walked, he smiled and nodded at the people who bowed their heads in reverence to him. He laughed in revelry while a group of young boys pretended to ambush the great warrior with swords made from timber. He fell, feigning to swoon backwards when a timber sword found it's mark. A young girl, perhaps 11, ran to him shouting with childlike glee. He rose and scooped the tiny beauty with the same iridescent sunlight colored hair to his chest and cradled her head in his hands, bending his face to hair and breathing deep. She pulled back from him to place her small, full lips on his cheek and he smiled at her, full of admiration as they walked together. She could feel his deep pride in the young girl, his raging sense of protection. His unconditional and fierce love of the child was awe inspiring._

The image twisted and turned again.

-_Her master was fighting. His broad sword swung high over his head, the lithe muscles of his arms pulled taunt in anticipation of the killing blow. He was surrounded by men, all circling her master like wolves, salivating at the prospect of a kill. A lone man watched, his eyes and mind were heady with the fragrant aroma of spilled blood. Her master was scared, fearful for the child he would never again see. Fearful of the thing he would become. Even in fear, he would not break easily. She saw the men subdue her master, each one holding a powerful arm or leg, positioning him into the frozen earth. She saw the man's fangs come done and watched in terror as her master's shining life left him. He cried out, not from pain but defiance. Mortal life slipped from him as silently as a spring breeze._

Pam tasted her blood stained tears as the fell ragged from her eyes and dripped across her mouth. She squeezed her eyes tighter and the image flashed like a lightening strike.

-_She saw herself, walking after dark. The swoosh of her many petticoats rustling under her dark purple gown making the only sound. It was the dress that she had died in. She saw her master from the shadows of the dimly lit street. He gazed after her lovingly before falling in stride beside the living version of herself. He had been watching her for some time, intrigued by her beauty and delicate features and also by her blatant disregard for Victorian values placed upon woman. She saw herself through her master's blue eyes, chosen. She would make a worthy child, his first and only. He would never be taken from her. She watched as he ever so gently looked into her eyes and calmed her fears with the blue depths of his own. She felt the pang of not remembering how gentle he had been as he drank from her. Draining the life blood from her fragile_ _body and then replacing it with the enormity of his own. She watched as he lay beside her lifeless form, gently caressing her face and smoothing her silky blond hair. He whispered to her, even in time between death. He had loved her when he made her. That love, though changed, had not wavered._

Pam turned toward her master, she didn't think it possible, but heavy sobs wracked her immortal body. He simply nodded in her direction. The journey would continue, she had demanded it without knowing, without caring for the personal cost to both of them.

-_She saw Fangtasia as it had been that night of Sookie's introduction. She saw the girl whom she had come to befriend and dedicate her loyalty to in various incarnations and in all, her master was ever present. She felt his urge to possess the girl. Primal, undeniable at first. But then she felt the emotion change into something much more palpable: an ache, a need, a love like no other before it. She felt his heart swell at the thought of her. Felt his agonizing loss time and again as she denied herself to him. She saw her master sitting in a chair before the girl as she lovingly tended to the deep cuts in his feet, she wrapped blankets across the wide berth of his shoulders and she warmed him with the heat of her body. She was privy to every time her master had gently made love to the girl, laying every emotion as bare as their skin. She watched as he placed feather light touches across the contours of her body in reverence to her. He was worshipping her and she him. She felt again the searing pain of loss when he longed to go to her, to leave everything behind and cleave himself unto her only. This girl who haunted even his day time sleep. This woman whose very soul called out to him. But he had not gone to her, he had not._

Pam shook herself free from her visions and found herself leaning against Eric's strong torso. His magnificent arms held her tightly as her thoughts became her own again. The pain and loss from all of Eric's vision was still trembling inside her.

"Ssshhh, child", he whispered into her ear, "It was the only way."

Pam calmed herself enough to question him, "How is that possible, Eric? I've had your blood before, I've never known these things, seen these things."

Eric loosened his hold on her arms and spoke, " You have. When a vampire becomes a maker, all of his memories flow into his child. It is what makes a young one able to survive should their maker abandon them or be taken from them. Although it is rare to remember all the events of the maker's life, it is possible. You never had that worry. You never had to survive on your own and so my many memories were pushed to the back of your mind. I simply gave you enough of my blood to trigger those memories. I needed you to see Pam, I needed you to know that I have not, nor will I ever lie to you. You are my beloved child. I could no less harm you than I could myself."

He smiled at her waiting for her response. She turned her head towards him, still ensconsed in the safety of his arms and spoke,

"Eric, you must go to her" she said fervently.

It was his turn to smile. "You are quite taken with our Sookie, aren't you?" he half teased her, "Enough so that you threatened your maker and almost met your final death."

Pam sat up straight pulling out of his embrace, "I am not _taken_, Eric," she put extra emphasis on his name driving her point home. "She is brave and loyal and good. I am proud of her and humbled by her. She saved my life at great peril to herself and she has asked nothing of me but honors me with her friendship. I have come to love her as I would love my own child. I would kill for her." she said with a touch of finality.

"Then we understand each other?" Eric asked poignantly

"Yes, master, at last we do."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

I woke slowly, I could feel the beating of the sunshine against my closed eyelids. I opened them slowly half fearful of the blinding I would recieve. Instead I was rewarded with a brilliant warmth. My entire room was awash in a golden, peaceful glow. I began moving, testing each body part for lingering weariness. First, I pointed my toes downward stretching them towards the opposite room enjoying the feel and pull of refreshed muscles. I lifted my previously heavy arms and shoulders above my head and willed them in opposition to my legs feeling the glorious release of all the tension that had been in my back. I snuggled contentedly back into the warmth of my covers smiling. I felt great. No, better than great, I felt brand new.

I was two seconds away from busting out in a few bars of "What a Wonderful World", when I remembered that I hadn't felt this good since I woke after sharing my bed with a certain blond Viking. I cursed myself at the thought. Why did I have to ruin a good moment with thoughts of Eric? Hadn't he given me enough, put me in enough, trouble? I waited for the old familiar feelings to show up. You know the ones, regret that I had saved his sorry (but extremely delicious) vampire ass to begin with that night, embarrassment that he remembered all the events of that time. Disappointment that in spite of all his "you are mine" talk, that he had failed miserably in "showing up" department since recollecting his memories. But they never came.

Instead, I glanced solemnly at the empty space in the bed beside me. I could almost visualize him laying there in the perfect peace of his "downtime". His beautiful blond hair splayed out across my pillow, the dark fringe of his eyelashes hiding those brilliant blue eyes. His full, perfect lips with just a hint of a smile on his sleeping face. He looked happy, I _was_ happy. "My lover", he would say. "My life," I would think. Where did it all go wrong? His imaginary image faded from my bed leaving just a vacant pillow and a scattering of blankets with no one to cover. My bed, although only an old full sized mattress, comfortable but nothing fancy, might as well have been a country mile wide. The bed, my life, was a big ocean of empty without him in it. Why was I sleeping in this bed alone, aside from the obvious that it was day time and Eric needed the safety of a darkened room?

I blew out a sigh, Pam says I do that too often and that it is unbecoming. But Pam is not here to chastise me, so I give it a try. I tried to remember the serenity that I felt when I was going to sleep last night. The floating, the safety, the voice.....

The voice? I sat straight up in bed and looked around for a tell tale sign that someone had indeed been in my bedroom last night. . Maybe Amelia checking on me? Maybe Pam came back? No, it was different. It was like a voice from a dream, hell maybe I was dreaming. I closed my eyes and tried to envision the dreams I had dreamt during my rest. They were there but it felt like trying to watch television with a faulty antennae. A few scattered images blurred out by snow. I remembered feeling that they weren't my dreams at all, but someone elses. There were scenes of far away cold places and blood, always blood. I remember feeling scared, angry but too weak to care or act on it. Then there was the voice.

I laid back into the fluff of my down pillow, letting my head hit with a thud. The voice said I was stronger than I knew. Then it said something else, I couldn't make it out, but it made me feel safe. The words all fell together in a jumble. It sounded foreign, it sounded almost like Eric. And why shouldn't it, the rest of the night's dreams were about him I came to realize. I dreamed of the maenead attack, the staking in Dallas, the bombing at Rhodes, and the most recent death by Ford incident outside Merlotte's. I giggled as the scenes replayed in my head. In each one I became more of a super-hero. I laughed out loud, Sookie Stackhouse, heir to the Wonder Woman crown, all that's missing is the flaming red latex boots. I closed my eyes again, replaying each scene in agonizing detail.

In each scene I saw myself weakened, broken, hurt. I'd blamed it on my unsavory affiliation with vampires. But in truth, I had placed myself in those situations willingly. I could see that now. I had willed myself to stay conscious enough to make it Eric to warn him about the maenaed and he ( and some others) had healed me. I risked my life to save vampires I had just met when the Fellowship nut bag pulled a stake in the middle of a supe bar when I could've just allowed it to happen then proclaimed my weak humanity later. Of course instead I ended up with that stake planted very firmly in my side and Eric once again healing me and making me stronger. Then Rhodes. The building was trembling and very near to caving in on top of all of us. My thoughts were no where near self-preservation. It was get to Eric. Get Eric. Always Eric. He never forced it, bond or not. he never asked me. I was there. The one time he did call for me, to save him from Seigbert, I answered without reservation. What hadn't killed me, had indeed made me stonger. But hadn't I had that strength to begin with?

I sat straight up in bed again, throwing the covers off my newly rejuevenated legs. Mythical creatures, stakings, bombs and explosions and centuries old assasins and I had not even had a seconds pause. Yet I had been terrified to tell this vampire, this man I missed him, that I needed him and that by God I loved him?

Not today, not anymore.

I had gone to bed feeling overwhelmed and weak. I had awakened with a new found sense of determination. I was tired of running from what could be the best thing in my life. I was tired of hiding behind the "what-ifs" and comparisons of what my life should be. Danger and complications be damned, i knew what I wanted, and I wanted it with everything I had in me. Eric Northman.

Jesus Christ, shepard of Judea, what was in Amelia's mystery tea anyway?

After taking care of my morning needs, brushing my teeth and consulting my Word of the Day calender, I made my way downstairs. Today's word was predilection, but since I had already peeked at it last night, I went ahead and peeked another day forward.

**Sanguine**:

_1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident_

_2. reddish; ruddy_

_3. (in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc._

_4. blood-red; red5. Heraldry. a reddish-purple tincture._

_adjective:1. a red iron-oxide crayon used in making drawings_

_I had now arrived at my seventeenth year, and had attained my full height, a fraction over six feet. I was well endowed with youthful energy, and was of an extremely sanguine temperament.-- Henry Bessemer_

_by 1319, "type of red cloth," from Old French sanguin (feminine form, sanguine), from Latin sanguineus "of blood," also "bloody, bloodthirsty," from sanguis "blood." Meaning "blood-red" is recorded from 1382. Meaning "cheerful, hopeful, confident" first attested 1509, since these qualities were thought in medieval physiology to spring from an excess of blood as one of the four humors._

I had to laugh at the irony. I was indeed, "_cheerfully optimistic, hopeful and confident_" because of blood. Not just any blood, the blood that I shared with Eric, that he shared with me. For the first time ever, I tried testing the much spoken about bond. I shut out every thought but ones of him and listened. Almost instantly I felt him, resting of course, but there. He was tired, but content. I felt him stir and panic begin to rise. I had never outright and intentionally called for him with the exception of Rhodes and it scared him, I could feel it. I squeezed my eyes tighter and tried to shove as much positive energy his way as I could. I almost laughed at myself for trying. This was hopeless. He might have had 1000 + years to perfect sending mixed signals over a blood airwaves, but I had not. I laughed to myself and thought of all the things I wanted to say. With tears forming in my eyes, I smiled. "I just wanted to say that I miss you, Eric."

I was rewarded with my whole body feeling as if it had been wrapped in the warm cocoon of my love's embrace. It was just like floating.

*****************

I nearly ran over Amelia as I came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, sunshine" I beamed in her direction. She looked pleased with herself. She tilted her shaggy light brown head to the side and gave me a quizzical look.

"And a very good morning to you, Sookie. Can I get you a cup of coffee." she asked. She still had half a smirk on her face and even though I was in a great mood, I decided to let her sweat it out for a few minutes.

"That would be so perfect, Amelia. Thank you" . I was gushing, I couldn't help it. I was going overboard with the manners just to avoid spilling my giggling guts about my new found revelation that I Sookie Stackhouse, was decidedly truly, madly, deeply in love with Eric Northman.

Amelia fixed my cup just the way I like it and slid the steaming mug in my direction before sitting across from me at Gran's old worn table. We sat for several minutes taking dainty sips out of our respective cups and talking about breakfast.

_No thank you, some toast will be fine. Don't worry, I'll get it_.

And we sat, both eye-balling each other. She like the stern parent who had just caught her only daughter sneaking back in her bedroom window and I like the caught.

Amelia broke first, "So, you slept....well?"

I could hardly take it, with my mouth clamped shut and my eyes lit up and dancing, I muttered, "mmmhmmm"

"Oh ENOUGH, Sookie! What's going on with you? Did something happen? You've been sitting there looking like you got caught with your hand in the proverbial cookie jar for 20 minutes. Give it up!" She snapped her fingers at that last part, I laughed. Loud and boisterous, I laughed.

"First, Amelia. What was in that tea?"

Amelia looked confused, again. "The tea? There was nothing in the tea. I told you, it's valerian. It's kinda like an herbal valium. It was just supposed to make you sleep. I drink it whenever I'm over stressed. It's good for knocking you out and not leaving you feeling heavy the next day like real sleeping pills."

"But did you do anything to it? A spell?" I asked with a fair amount of worry that all my new found revelations might actually be more the work of my friendly neighborhood witch rather than my own. And I'd had just about enough of not being in control of my emotions, thank you very much .It was Amelia's turn to wear the cookie jar look. My heart sank.

"Well, sort of" she was close to a whisper.

I lost it, "Uhhh" I gave a disgusted grunt. I shouldn't be mad. Whatever Amelia had done, even if it was sneaky and low-handed and made me feel things that weren't real, had been done with the best intentions.

"What did you do?"

"It was nothing really, I swear...i just said one little tiny harmless thing..." She was dragging her feet. Whatever it was she didn't want to admit, I had a feeling was going to be a doozy.

"Spit it out Amelia" I snapped.

"Ok, Ok...the only thing I said was 'Let her see things as they are, not as she wishes them to be', she finally gave up.

It was my turn to look confused, "But, what does that mean? Did you make me dream things, see things, think things?"

Amelia looked stricken, "No, not at all. I'm not like that, my magic is not like that. I wouldn't put something on you that way. My spell, if you can even call it that, was just to give you clarity, to see things as they are without all the confusing mumbo jumbo. To see the truth in everything" She began to smile, "I take it, that maybe.....it worked?"

I could hardly contain myself, my feeling were my own, not the force of a blood bond, not from a concoction mixed with magic in my own kitchen.

"Amelia," I started, my eyes filling up with tears, "I love him. I can not be without him. I hope, no I know, he feels that way too. And this time, I'm going after him, consequences be damned.

Amelia looked serious, "Sookie, you and I are friends so what I'm about to say to you, I don't say lightly. Number one, "she laughed, "DUH! Number two, it is about damn time."

***********************

I was on a roll today, I had done two things so far that I had never thought I would be able to do. Admit to Eric that I missed him (ok that was kinda cheating since he's sleeping and I did it through the bond) and tell another person out loud that I loved him more than anything. There was another person I needed to talk to, another confidante that I had to speak to, Pam. Granted it was now nearing 9:00am and she had "died" more than a few hours, but I had an ace in the hole.

Shortly after Rhodes, Pam had installed a second line in her home. In case of extreme emergencies, she said. Only two people that I knew of had access to the number, Eric and I. She had given us both the number one of the brief times that we were all together.

_I want each of you to be able to reach me, even in my down time. If this number rings, I'll know that either of you must need something very important. As soon as I began to stir, it will be the first thing I hear_.

_Kinda like the bat phone_, I said to no one in particular.

_Sookie_, she looked disgusted, _contrary to what contemporary literature would have you believe, I have never, not once, transformed into a bat._ She added for good measure, _Nor do I sparkle_.

Eric roared with laughter, throwing his head back and grabbing onto his very chiseled abdomen.

_Child, it is a movie, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney? Batman? Suit with nipples?_

When he held his arms out in front of his chest and made awkward circles with his hands all while continuing with his half smirk, smart ass smile, I laughed. Pam was not amused.

I was too busy counting all the many reasons, including his completely warped sense of humor, why I loved this ancient Viking to remember the rest of the conversation, but I did remember the number and I dialed it with urgency. What was I going to say if Pam woke up, scared into a frenzy? _Hey Pam, how's it going, I know it's daytime and you're supposed to be sleeping and this is the extreme emergency phone, but..umm...in love with your maker....k thnx, bye?_

I was stifiling giggles when the voicemail picked up.

_Hello, you have reached Pam. I am currently dead as a doornail (_I taught her that one_), although I'd like to doubt the validity of dying inanimate object to begin with. It's a dumb saying, let's not do it anymore_.(HEY..wait a minute?)_ Sookie, if this you, I hope you rested well and I look forward to seeing you again soon. If it is Eric, stop **pining** and go to sleep!"_ BEEP

"Pam...it's Sookie, I'm ok, I'm alright, better than alright. Listen, could you just give me a call, whenever you get up for the day. I'd really like to see you tonight. I was kinda hoping we could go to Fangtasia." There I said it. Once Pam was involved there was no backing out, she wouldn't allow it.

I was feeling braver, more in charge of my life with each passing second. The day was still very, very young. I had at least 10 hours before I would leave to go see Eric under the guise of seeing Pam. I hoped that she didn't mind my using her as an excuse to get to him. It was a little shady to do it that way, I'll admit it. But all this "see, want, take" attitude is new to me and I'm easing into it. Something tells me from the irritated tone of the message she left for him on her voice mail that she would be ok with it.

With my plans made and a burning need to find something to wear, I thought of one other bone I needed to pick with my new take charge mantra: The one with Jason Stackhouse.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"And," Pam began warily. Eric had been so angry and yet he had shared so many things with her. Beautiful, haunting visions of a world no longer his own. She was, in a word, reluctant to press the issue, to belay this moment of peace and answers with her maker, but that had always been her way. To push against the constraints regardless of the dire consequences. She still felt the lingering tension in the air surrounding them . She was still leaning against him, resting her delicate back against the strength of his form. She felt his muscles and frame contract at her looming question. And yet she pressed on.

"The child?"

Eric bowed his head against her shoulder allowing his crown of wheat blond hair to cascade across the lines of her back and shoulder. He sat very still for a moment. Pam found herself turning her head back towards him once more, their faces mere inches from each other.

"Eric?", she questioned lightly, her voice less than a whisper. The loss in him was palpable and he wore it like a sacrament around him always. It had guided him, kept him alive all these long years. He rose his head and grasped her shoulders turning her to face him. She had expected to find anguish marring his beautiful face and silently cursed herself for not being able to, just this once, let go of her nature and allow him to make peace with his 1000 year old memories. Instead a winsome smile had crossed his full lips. His eyes, laced with sorrow, still danced with thoughts of the young girl.

"My daughter.' He answered, the pride a millennium later still radiated from him. His love for the girl had been unmistakable in Pam's vision. In the reality of his darkened and smashed office, it was blinding. He continued and Pam listened intently.

"Her name was Sigrid, we, our people, called her Siri. She was born in the spring of my 22nd year. Her name means, 'beautiful victory' in my father's tongue and she was born a fierce warrior. She was my Valkyrie." He smiled, he brought one knee up in front of him and leaned back to support his massive frame on one elbow and continued telling the story of his daughter as carefully and as reverently as if he was retelling one of his beloved sagas.

"In her 2nd year, she discovered my armor and became fascinated with battle, by her sixth she was challenging the village boys to tests of courage and tests of will. In her 10th year, she took up her ailing grandfather's broad sword and killed a wild boar that was threatening the food stores...." His voice dropped, changed. Pam waited for him to continue, remembering from the vision that his time with his beloved Siri would come soon to an end. And his memories, his life with her, however precious would be swept away by the tides of war.

"In her eleventh summer, I was taken from her and made into what I am now. I never looked upon her luminous face again."

The weight of Eric's sentiment slammed into the center of Pam's chest.

She waited, for him to finish. But he did not, for that was the end of the tale. He knew no more than he was taken from his glorious child, his fierce and brave Siri, and forced into a life of blood and struggles for power. He knew only that for the first hundred years of his turning, every strike, every kill was done in her honor. He knew that on the 54th eve of her birth, he no longer felt the pull and the pulse of her life on his own blood and it had sent him into a blinding rage. He had slaughtered 54 vampires and humans alike, leaving a swath of gore in his wake. His battle cry had roared to the heavens in hopes that she would hear him and know.

The silence continued, heavy in the air like a thick fog enveloping the room. Pam felt as if she must find an out, lest be sucked under. She made a half-hearted attempt at levity.

"So," she began in her teasing tone, the one that Eric had always felt had a sing-song quality. He knew when it began that whatever was coming next was sure to be endlessly amusing." I assume you have a weak spot for strong women?'

He laughed, thank God, "Yes, I suppose I do." He smiled in her direction, thinking collectively of his beloved child that was gone from him, his beloved made child in front of him and the willful obstinacy of his glorious bonded, Sookie.

"Either that or I am a glutton for punishment, " he winked in her direction, "I think that regardless of my misdeeds here on earth, that my after-life will be much rewarded for, what is the term? Time served?" He laughed.

The air lightened and they were at peace with each other. Eric's memories, as brutal as they were no longer held heavy sway on him. Right on cue, the familiar ring of Eric's cell phone filled the room. She found the sound distasteful and had no problem hiding it. She had no use for the type of heavy metal music blaring through the sound system at Fangtasia and found it odd that a vampire of Eric's stature needed to be reminded by yelling piece of electronics that he was indeed an "Indestructible master of war" every time he was needed. But, he was her master and she supposed she could allow him some droplets of vanity, even if it pained her ears.

"Northman," he answered curtly.

Pam left Eric to his conversation, whatever was being said on the other side of the conversation, she would know about soon. In the midst of, "I see" and "How did you learn this?' and the ever present, "Is she in danger?", Pam tried to scrape together what was left of Eric's office. The conversation went on for about 10 minutes and in that time Pam had grown very bored with cleaning. To her relief, she heard Eric end the call.

"Good work, Compton, you have proved that I have been right not to kill you" Eric couldn't help himself from reminding Bill Compton that he was the stronger, he was the more powerful and given half the chance, on any occasion, he would revel in reminding Bill in all the ways he had lost Sookie forever. But Eric had been truthful, Compton did have some valuable information.

"Bill?" Pam asked with obvious disdain. Her dislike for the man had very little to nothing to do with Sookie Stackhouse. Pam simply disliked him because he denied who, what, he was. She saw it as an insult. She considered herself a higher life form, a step-up on the evolutionary chain while Bill Compton loved to play the martyr. He was the consummate poster child for the victim vampire. He was never good enough for Sookie.

Eric laced his long fingers together, forming a point on which he rested his chin and nodded his head, "I was right about Felipe de Castro. I knew Nevada was a wealthy territory, but I always found it suspect that he could so easily take over not one, but two very populated states. He has had outside help, outside funding this whole time."

Pam found herself in shock, which is not a place she visits very often, events of tonight excluded, "Who Eric? And what does it mean to us?"

"Aldric Gravois", he stated, never breaking his gaze from her. Eric had always loved the prospect of war and battle, but a battle with Gravois was not something to be looked upon lightly. If it came, no, when it came, it would be no small undertaking. It would make the Louisiana take over look as if child's play. Many would die.

Pam waited, patiently for the rest of the story.

"Aldric Gravois is older than I, older than my own maker I believe. No one knows for sure. What is known is that he became one of the first kings of our kind. He amassed a great legion of warriors selected from the finest fighting societies around the known world. He used that armada of vampires to hold sway over human kings and nobility. He grew to have great wealth and power from those who purchased his protection. He and his warriors have been instrumental in almost every major battle, every fall of every kingdom. He has had a hand in it somewhere."

Pam's mental image flashed over the words, "_warriors from the finest fighting societies_" and melded those words with the image of her master's turning, "You?" she asked.

"No, not I, although my maker operated along the same vein, it was on a much smaller scale. Gravois' power grew to new heights in the 11th century. It is rumored that he fell in love with a young maiden of the House of Normandy. Tall tales were told about her beauty and her gallantry." he continued. "They say that Gravois promised the Duke of Normandy the English crown in exchange for the girl. The Duke protested this much as you can imagine, for the girl in question was not only wed to a lesser noble of the house and swollen with his seed, but she was also rumored to be a powerful seer and practitioner of magic."

Pam didn't think it anymore possible after the events of the night, but she was enthralled by the story. She had been, in her mortal life, well versed in the subject of English History but this bloody fairy-tale had just grown fangs. She was fascinated.

Eric paused, waiting to see if his child was absorbing the information. She quickly motioned with her hands, impatience covering the dainty features of her beautiful face as if to say, "hurry up, get on with it."

He chuckled softly and continued, " The young girl lay dying, following giving birth to her child. Her life blood hemmorhaging following a difficult birth, which was not uncommon for the era. The Duke seized his opportunity and quickly gave the girl to Gravois in exchange for the crown. Now he has had thrall over English and French monarchies for centuries, but he had yet to stake his claim in the America's."

Pam joined in, "and Felipe, being the opportunistic plague that he is seized on our Queen's weakness and sought recompence from Gravois?"

Eric nodded in accordance, "Louisana is, after all French in origin."

"But this seer? This woman? Pam asked, "what does she have to do with it.?

Eric sighed, "That my child I do not know. What I do know is that she was, according to Compton's informant, present at the Rhodes summit and showed a great deal of interest in Sookie."

************************

Light was beginning to break now. Eric had voiced his goodbye's to his child and wished her well before returning to the sancity of his day room at his secret home. He lay naked beneath the tangle of sheets, as was his custom, his broad arms clutching tightly to his chest the pillow. His thoughts lingered on her sleeping body, each sacred breath, each gentle heave and sigh of her chest, the soft fragrance of her hair wafting over him, through him. If he could have nothing else, he could find peace with the memories of his sleeping lover. His Sookie. He had found, even in the days that he stayed with her, that while she slept he would try to match his breathing to hers. It was a simple gesture, one that was not needed, but she enjoyed it so he practiced in earnest and found that he too, could elicit joy from the art of merely breathing with her. He felt the heavy crush of sleep falling upon him as he slipped into his day time death. Still he breathed for her, soft and steady.

He heard his name called,

"Eric" it said in her voice, prodding gently into him.

Again, louder, "Eric?"

He stiffened to the sound, his entire being on full alert. He willed himself against the rising of the sun to get up, to get to her.

He was struggling to fight against the pull of sleep when he felt it. His body relaxed like he had been submersed in the balmy waters of a tropical sea and the waves washed over him taking away any doubt. She was safe, she was merely testing the bond for herself. He was in awe of this splendid woman.

"I miss you", the voice said

Eric's un-dead heart fluttered wildly, "My lover" he said, it was but a whisper. A sentiment carried on golden feathers across a windswept plain, but she felt it.

In happiness, he lay down the last embers of his life, and died for the day.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This one is a little longer, more transitions. I'm working on the next chapter already, but I want it to be perfect. I apologize if it takes a little longer to finish. You guys have been incredible with your reviews. It really pushes me to get my butt in gear!

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Chapter 7

I had showered for the day and dressed in my favorite, most comfortable, blue jeans and a long sleeved pink T-shirt. It wasn't flattering by any means, but it wasn't unflattering either. It was what it was. A shirt to cover my arms. Louisiana in the earliest parts of spring can be tricky to dress for. The expected high today was somewhere around a nice comfortable 60 degrees, but being so early in the morning yet, the sun hadn't quite reached it's potential. By noon, I would pushing my sleeves up to bare my still tanned arms. By 4:00pm, I would be wishing that I had opted for a short sleeve tee and a jacket that I could tie around my waist. But I was in a hurry this morning. If it fit, it worked. I threw my hair back into a ponytail that turned over on itself and slid on some clear gloss. I studied myself in the mirror. Gone was the Rocky Raccoon black eyes that I wore yesterday, my skin glowed. I smiled at myself, "Lookin' good Stackhouse". I winked at my own reflection and giggled. I wanted to take a quick peek at my word of the day, but considering I was already one day ahead, my patience could stand the wait. I hurried down the stairs. I was on a mission.

I paused in the kitchen to say goodbye to Amelia and grab my purse from the counter. "Are you sure you can't come with me today?" I put on my best puppy dog face and waited.

She had been busy cleaning up our morning breakfast and turned to see me jut my bottom lip out in mock sadness. "Quit making that face at me Sookie," she laughed throwing the damp dish cloth in my direction. "You know, I'd love nothing more than to go shopping for your, 'Seduction of Eric Northman' outfit" she continued, striking a pose at the word seduction and puckering her lips like those women Jason likes on the cover of those underwear magazines. "But I promised Tray, we'd have lunch today and I promise you, that I will be here tonight to see you off. That is, unless you'd like the house to yourself." She smiled that puckered lip smile again and it was my turn to throw the dish towel back at her.

"No, I don't know what's going to happen tonight. Maybe something, maybe nothing." I said thoughtfully.

"Hello?" she questioned, stifling a giggle, "Have you met Eric?"

I smiled, big. I couldn't help it, she was right. After the show I was planning to put on at Fangtasia, there would be no stopping whatever was on Eric's mind. Of course I had no intention of trying to stop him.

"Still, " I sighed, "Maybe Claudine would want to come with me?" Claudine is my fairy cousin. Aside from saving my ass on more than a few occasions, she was a shopaholic with impeccable taste.

Like magic, no really like magic...fairy, she popped into my kitchen. Her silky black hair piled in a high ponytail, allowing the very noticeable point of her ears to show. She was still dressed in her green flowered pajama's with pants littered with large yellow daisies and in bare feet, she stretched an yawned taking her already statuesque body to new heights.

"What's up Sookie?" she continued through a yawn..."Oooh is that homemade apricot jam...can I?" she nodded toward the jar.

I shook my head, "Knock yourself out Claudine."

I waited politely for a few minutes while Claudine savored the warm apricot jam and toast and drank a few sips from her coffee. She wiped her lips and said, "So what's up? I heard you call and since I hadn't heard from you in several weeks, I figured I'd just pop on over. So spill?"

"Nothing's wrong Claudine, just thought maybe you'd like to go shopping with me this morning. I'm...umm..going out tonight and I thought it would be fun to get a new outfit."

Her eyes sparkled at the thought of shopping, "ooh where you going? hot date?"

I instantly turned nervous, I felt my stomach turn into knots. Despite my earlier declarations of being a new woman with a new attitude, I was still shaking in my boots that Claudine would be disappointed with my decision to actively pursue Eric. "Oh, you know, just out and about." I put on my biggest smile, the one I use when I'm trying to force myself through an awkward situation.

"Fangstasia." Amelia added bluntly. "She's going to Fangtasia."

I've never known Claudine to be anything other than the perfect example of a lady. Showing up in her pajama's not withstanding, she had always been the epitome of poise and grace. But in that moment, she spit all the coffee out of her mouth uncontrollably. The spray flew across the white tablecloth and even across to my pink t-shirt. I looked down at my brown stained shirt in disbelief and heard Claudine choking, gasping for air, then laughing.

"Oh, God Sookie, I am so sorry. I just...you just" she paused to collect her thoughts. I interjected.

"You're disappointed aren't you?"

"No, Sookie, not at all. It took me by surprise for a minute is all. So, it is Eric Northman after all then?" she questioned.

"Yes, " I beamed proudly, I was gushing again, "I am in love with him."

Claudine smiled back just as brightly, "Good for you dear cousin. I can see why you chose him, he is a very handsome man. And from what I've seen he is very...uh... _worthy_ of your attentions." She stretched out the word worthy just a little too long to go unnoticed and her eyebrows peaked a little too high. I knew what she was talking about and I flushed hot pink with embarrassment.

"Claudine", I gasped, "_What do you mean, 'from what I've seen'_? I mocked her impressed display.

She gasped open her mouth and then threw both of her well manicured hands in front of it to stifle herself. She folded her hands on the table and let her head hit them with an audible thud. I could barely make out her words as she spoke into the folds of her PJ covered arms.

"The Fangstasia calender, I have three."

I was shocked, shocked. I turned my now cherry red face to Amelia for moral support only to find her sheepishly raising her hand as if asking for permission to speak.

"I have two copies." she muttered in haste before turning quickly back to the sink.

********************************

Shopping with Claudine turned out to be just as fun as I imagined. Claudine made a quick snap and her clothes was changed for the day. It was amazing that she could do that, go from frumpy (if you could ever call Claudine frumpy) pajamas to tailored khaki pants and a white lacy camisole with a cropped navy blue jacket over top all with a snap of her fingers. I felt under dressed and had turned to go upstairs when she stopped me,

"Uh-uh, no time."

"But, coffee stains", I pointed to my now polka dotted pink tee to stress my issue. And snap, they were gone.

"I said, no time. We've got a lot to do today and I know the perfect place." She smiled that smile that made me worry that I was about to get into trouble.

We talked all the way into town. So much so that I hadn't realized how far or more importantly where he had ended pulled up in front of a store that had a black exterior and bars across the window, there was a hot pink sign that said, "Fetish". I was sure we were at the wrong place.

"Claudine," I questioned, "are you sure this is the perfect place? I mean come on, look at the mannequin in the window...I can see her panties through the dress!"

Claudine could only laugh at me, "Sure, they cater to the more 'erotic' in here. In fact, I'm pretty sure that most of Claude's dancers shop here...." I stopped her before she had a chance to finish that thought

"Great, that's just great, Claudine. I tell you I'm in love with a vampire and automatically you bring me to where the strippers buy thier clothes?" I was really put out by the suggestion that now that I was doing, well whatever it was I was doing with Eric, I don't have a label for it, that I would be presenting myself as a fangbanger.

I was fuming on the inside. How could my own cousin, my "Fairy Godmother" get me so wrong.

"Sookie, honey, calm down. Yes, the have...ahem... performance wear here, but they also have some really neat vintage throw-back clothes in the back. Come on, would I ever steer you wrong?

True she wouldn't and she hadn't and in less than 40 minutes, I had my new outfit.

We stopped at one of my favorite restaurants for lunch after and I ordered a spinach salad topped with grilled steak and a large glass of ice tea. Maybe it seemed a little presumptuous, but a little extra iron in the diet never hurt a soul anyway. I was having such a good time with Claudine that time really got away from me. She wanted to go to her favorite salon for hair and nails. I checked my watch, 2:15pm.

"Sorry Claudine, I've gotta get back to Bon Temps. There is something very important I have to take care of before I head to Fangtasia tonight, something I've needed to do for a while."

She waited for me to elaborate, but I didn't. Claudine is my cousin and I love her, but Jason is my brother and I, well I just don't know how I feel about him right now and that hurts me. Deeply. We drove back to Bon Temps still talking about the night before me, giggling like school girls. The closer we got to the house, the more apprehensive I was starting to feel. Did I really want to ruin my reunion with Eric by having a big family blow out with Jason before-hand?

Before I had time to really think about that, Claudine was dropping me off at my house and kissing me on the cheek to say goodbye.I did the only thing I could do, I got in my car and started the drive towards my parent's old home and the home that my brother now kept.

*********************************

You could say that I was surprised by the amount of disorder that I saw when I finally got to Jason's house, but that would be a lie. Jason has never been much of a housekeeper, that was left up to me and Gran. But walking up onto the old porch, nearly tripping on the mountains of empty beer cans and pizza boxes was too much. I silently cursed him for being such a slob. True, the house had seen better days when his ex Crystal had been living here, unfortunately the house had also seen and increase in visitors, male visitors, during her stay. Which had led to the reason Jason and I had become so distant. He was too much of a chicken to fight his own battles and had used me to settle the score. Because of some shifter clause that I couldn't even begin to understand, I had been forced to break the hands of a man I respected and liked, very much.

I knocked on the door and got no response. I saw his truck, his one prized possesion, out front when I pulled in so I knew one of two things. One, he was sleeping off whatever godless drunk he had been on the night before or two, he was ignoring me. That simply wasn't going to cut it. I pounded on the door with the ball of my fist.

"Jason Stackhouse, you open this door right NOW" I yelled into the screen door. I heard movement, rattling inside and then a thud followed quickly by some very colorful four letter words. The door opened. Jason was standing there half asleep, half hung-over. Shirtless, the hair on his head with one of the worst cases of bed head I'd ever seen, it looked almost matted. I squinted up at him, wow, that was one hell of a shiner he was sporting over his left eye too. He was a mess.

"Sookie?" he asked rubbing his eyes as if not believing that I was really standing there.

"Can I come in, Jason?" I asked. I was trying hard not to sound irritated. If he had a good reason for doing what he did, then I'd really like to hear it..now.

"Uh..sure, " he said, reaching up to scratch his matted blond hair and looking around for a way to try and hide the bigger mess that was waiting inside the house. He stepped to the side to allow me to pass. I made my way into the living room, dodging more beer cans and left overs on my way until I found a spot to sit.

"So, how ya doin, sis? Everything ok? I gotta say, didn't expect to see you out here, not after..." he was firing off questions and answering them before I had a chance to speak. He was nervous, ashamed of himself. Good.

"I'm well, Jason. Things couldn't be better for me, which is why I'm here."

He snorted, "yeah, well, things are going so well that you needed to stop by and remind big brother not to come screw it up for you again?"

Ouch, that hurt. "No, Jason, I'm here because for once in a long time, I'm happy and I want you to be happy too. But Jason, we gotta talk about what happened in Hot Shot."

It was Jason's turn to look hurt, he blew out a long sigh. "What is there to talk about Sookie? I did something wrong, knew it was wrong when I did it. But, oh man, Sookie. I liked Calvin, still think the world of him. He was like, like my a second dad ya know, after I changed and didn't know anything?. " He was stuttering, trying to get through it. I couldn't do anything but sit and listen. "I knew Crystal was doing wrong too and I wanted out, with her being pregnant and all, at the time. Well you know the rest Sook. And I just couldn't, I couldn't hurt Calvin."

"And you thought _I_ could?" I was taken back at his suggestion. I pointed back at myself to drive the point home.

He sighed again and lowered his face into the palms of his hands, then sat up rubbing his entire face like he was still trying to come all the way awake. "I don't know, Sookie. I guess I thought with you, " he threw out an upturned palm in my direction, "hanging out with all them vampires and all, having their blood in you that you'd be, I don't know Sookie, " he was obviously frustrated at this point, "stronger, more detached? I remember what it was like being all hopped up on V, it's like you can do things you wouldn't normally do and it's ok, because it's not you..." His voice dropped off signaling the end of his much maligned (that was last Thursday's Word of the Day) thought process. And I, well I was pissed.

"Is that what you thought? Is that what you think, Jason Stackhouse? That because I've had vampire blood that I am less human? That I can hurt people I care about?" I was starting to get on a good rant now. "Let me tell you about the 'vampire blood' I've had Jason, it wasn't to get high and go have sex with the nearest person with parts that fit. It was to save my life, do ya get that? TO SAVE MY LIFE!" I was yelling now and Jason could do nothing but sit in the chair and try to shrink back into it. I tried to calm my voice remembering that I had taken blood for a very different but equally important reason in the very near past. The blood that had anchored my life to Eric's, "Jason, if anything, being around or being with vampires, taking their blood when offered, has only made me feel more protective of my humanity and of those around me. I'm not a monster because of it Jason, and neither are they."

He hung his head, shamed and muttered something along the lines of being left alone to die. Any calm I had during my last sentence to him went right out the window. I stood up and with my open palm, wallopped him upside his matted head.

"Owww, what was that for Sookie" he yelled bring his hands up over his head to protect himself from my next incoming strike and I was armed and ready.

"You listen to me Jason Stackhouse, you have led a charmed life. A charmed life. Mr. Hometown Hero," I snorted in half disgust, "You've never had to work for a thing, friends, girls, hell whatever you wanted has been practically handed to you on a silver platter. I told you before, Gran may have spoiled you rotten but I won't. So if you think that the one time something in your life doesn't go as perfectly as you wanted that I'm just going to let you lay down and wallow in it like a pig in slop, you've got another think coming."

Jason looked up at me, still rubbing the sore spot on the top of his head and said, "You sound just like Pam."

Well that threw me for a little loop, "Pam? What do you even know about Pam?"

He pointed toward his black eye and smiled, "Pam, your vampire friend, Pam" he put out two fingers in front of his mouth to make pretend fangs. "She's been coming around for a while. She calls it checking up on me, for you, but pretty much she just sits in that chair all poised and proper and yells at me, sayin' the same things you just did."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Jason looked surprised.

"Ok, sorry. But she hit you?"

"Yeah, well that was my fault, I guess" he grinned that sly Jason smile, dimples and all usually had the local female population weak in the knees. I arched my eyebrows and waited.

"She..umm told me that, believe it or not, despite all her yellin', that she actually liked me. She thought I had potential."

I was confused..again, "So, she said she liked you, thought you had potential and then she hit you?"

"No," he started coyly, "She said she liked me, and then I asked her if she wanted to have sex, even did the sexy Jason dance. Then she hit me."

What the hell do you say to that? I could only stand there and shake my head. He proceeded to tell me that he knew a little bit about my situation with Eric, Pam had filled him in on the minimal details with basically a warning that he needed to behave himself. Jason referred to Eric as "that big guy who was staying at the house who didn't like me very much." It was true, Eric didn't care for the way Jason treated me. But Eric had come from a different time, when families were the most important thing and you looked after your own. I was starting to see that he was right. As much as Jason was my family, so Eric and now obviously Pam was becoming. I needed Jason to see that just as he was important to me, so were they.

"Jason, I want you to take a shower, wash that head of yours, shave and find something nice to wear. We're going out tonight" I instructed those very simple orders to a very confused looking brother.

"Where are we going?"

"Fangtasia"

Jason hopped to his feet and put his hands out to his sides and started shaking his little butt and hips around in a circle and grinning like a naughty little boy, "Will Pam be there?"

I don't think it's possible to roll my eyes any father back in my head than I did at that moment. There was only one thing I could say to that god-forsaken display of testosterone, I snorted.

"Ughh...you WISH, Jason"

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N This chapter was incredibly difficult for me to write and I'm not 100% sure that I am completely satisfied with it. But I do hope that you enjoy it and as always reviews and constructive criticism is more than welcome.

- I don't own any of the Southern Vampire characters, Charlaine Harris does.

-The song in question: Living Dead Girl- Subliminal Seduction mix.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 8

"You look beautiful" Claudine said.

She held me at arms length from her, her eyes wistful as if long lost in a memory when she too felt like the belle of the ball. Claudine had lived a long life by mortal standards and with her beauty I could only imagine that someone, somewhere had gone to great lengths to woo the flawless fairy. But she didn't speak of it. Instead she raised a hand to my cheek, brushing strands of wayward blond hairs away. Her face changed, her brows furrowed, her lips poised to speak.

"Sookie, I know that we were...playful earlier", she paused, "about your intentions with Eric. But you must remember that he, above all, is a vampire. A very powerful vampire with many enemies. With times as tenuous as they are, I want you to think hard on this. Is this really what you want?

The question was not an easy one to answer. But calling Eric an, above all, vampire wasn't an easy comment to rectify either. Calling him just a vampire was something akin to calling a symphony orchestra a band. True a band could be entertaining, but the symphony moved you. The rise and fall of lilting music,The gentle restraint of strings and wind instruments blown wide open by the soaring heights of passionate horns and drums. Gran had taken me to see the Louisiana Symphony Orchestra in Shreveport when I was little. I still remember feeling as if i was not only listening, but feeling the music. I felt that if I were raise my hands that gently falling music notes would appear out of my fingers. And that was the way I felt with Eric. Vampire yes, but he was so much more to me. He had to be. My life had been hard, dysfunctional even. But not so much that I could so easily dedicate myself to a one dimensional caricature of a man. Eric was my orchestra and the bond between us was our symphony.

I smiled in her direction, "Yes, Claudine. I am sure."

She struggled to return the smile. I knew that my decision was hard on her. I knew, as she knew, that in the very likely event that trouble would arise, she couldn't come to me. But we would both just have to trust Eric to protect me. I was ready to do that. He had done that, time and time again. Claudine was clearly conflicted, but pushed her thoughts of my danger to the side momentarily.

"Well," she sighed heavily, "Let's do the unveiling".

It was the first time since she had arrived that I would see myself in the dress she picked out. She turned me towards the full length mirror in my bedroom and I swallowed, taking the whole of my reflection in. The dress was indeed, as Claudine had proclaimed, perfect. Black and tight enough in all the right places so that I would blend in with the clientele at Fangtasia, but modest enough that I didn't feel like a menu item. Done in the softest and thinnest of leather, the high neckline came up to cover the lowest part of my neck, fitting me like a choker necklace. The vest like, sleeveless bodice clung softly to the curves of my breasts and began slowly loosening, yet still tailored and fitted, around my narrow waist and the skirt flared out gently, the fabric ending at a leg baring upper mid thigh. It was short. I'd have to be careful to not expose too much. I'm not overly modest, but I am going to a vampire bar. And my exposed skin glistened. I had spent the better part of the evening buffing, polishing and shining. My new lotion, courtesy of Amelia, smelled of wild orchids and vanilla and left a sparkling sheen on my tan, toned arms and legs.

Claudine had insisted that I finish the ensemble with a pair of black, knee-high boots and a very chic leather cap. After securing my long blond hair in two low ponytails on either side of my neck, she had helped me with applying a smokey kohl liner to my eyes and glossed my lips with the lightest of pink. I'm not one for wearing a lot of make-up, but the contrast between the dark of my dress, the liner and the blue of my eyes was almost electric.

She had called it "_biker chic meets go go dancer_", and explained all about the vintage 60's dress and style while we were at the shop. Finger combing through my long ponytails one last time and adjusting my cap, I began smoothing my hands over the buttery material of the mini- dress. I giggled, drawing a look of amusement from Claudine.

" I look like I'm about to star in my own music video." Claudine laughed in earnest, her laughter was melodic and light.

"Sookie dear, you are too much." she bolstered herself up with false heraldry and announced, "You are Sookie Stackhouse, the famed and reputed telepath from Bon Temps. Bonded to Eric Northman and seated at the right hand of his power," She bowed at the waist solemnly and the rose laughing, "At least you can look the part."

We broke into laughter that was interrupted by Amelia's announcement that Jason had arrived.

"That's my cue to leave, dear cousin." she held me at arms length again and smiled that same wistful smile before kissing me gently on each cheek. "I wish you a wonderful evening" She leaned away from me smiling again, "You are well loved and well protected this night."

And with that, she was gone. I wondered if that was what it truly meant to have a fairy godmother. I figured Cinderella was probably jealous.

I hopped down the stairs as gracefully as I could in the chunky heeled boots to the "oohs and ahhs" from Amelia.

She gasped, "Oh my goodness, Sookie, you look to die for."

Jason didn't skip a beat, "Good thing her boyfriend is already dead." he chuckled a little too amused with himself. I simply rewarded him with a stern stare that let him know that kind of talk wasn't going to be tolerated. He quickly dropped his head sheepishly.

"Hey, sis, this was on the porch when I came up." as if trying to make amends for the comment. He held out his hands to reveal a small brown shipping box, no name, no address and no return face was showing regret that he had made the "_dead_" joke and he gave a look which seemed to say, "_I'll try and do better_". I gently took it from him, examining it on all sides finding nothing of the owner or the sender. After my experiences with mysteriously appearing soda cans and luggage, I was a little leery to say the least. But, and I can't explain it, I felt like the box would be safe to open. It felt protected, like Claudine had said. Still, I ran one of my fingernails slowly to release the packing tape before pulling at the cardboard ends half expecting a boom and really pleased when that didn't happen. Once open, a necklace slid out into my hands. It was exquisite, three black gem stones all cut in the shape of triangles, interlocked with each other, and linked by a silver colored chain. Silver?

Amelia, leaned over my shoulder to examine the gift. "Obsidian" she said after running her finger over the smooth surface. I looked at her with an obvious question on my face. "It's volcanic rock, you know, volcano goes boom, lava, ash" She held up her hands and flitted out her fingers in mock explosion. That's how this was made. But this is old, Sookie. Look at the marks around the triagles," she pointed to microscopic scratches and dings in the pendant that I surely could not see. I was going to have to take her word for it.

"And the silver chain?" I asked. It seemed a bit conspicuous that in less than 24 hours after realizing my love for Eric that silver jewelry would be making it's way to my home. Claudine was admittedly cautiously optimistic about my relationship with a vampire, but not so much that she would intentionally cause him unprovoked harm. The list of culprits of the sender was few.

Amelia handled the chain and the pendant. "No, not silver, my guess would be platinum. See it's not as heavy." She bounced her hand up and down as if she was weighing the piece against an imaginary silver competitor.

"Let's put it on you," Amelia spoke, reaching for the clasp with one hand while turning her finger in a circle suggestive of me turning around with the other. The necklace slid gracefully around my neck. The triangle pendants laying just between my breasts, almost blending in the with dark of the dress. I caught the pendant between my thumb and finger and smoothed the surface again. I wondered if Eric had sent it to me. It seemed like something he would do. He loved to send gifts, and even though up to this point they had been pretty practical in nature, I had never known him not to take credit for something. It was 8:30pm. I'd know for sure in the better part of an hour.

**********************

Fangtasia:

The bar with bite.

Pam thought that surely with all the years of experience combined that they could've come up with a better, more witty, slogan than that. Eric had assured her that the slogan was indeed more "tourist friendly" and she had agreed reluctantly. Besides, she had later learned much to her disappointment that "Mistress of Pain" was copyrighted. She stood at the door, as was her usual place until she grew bored with the throngs of people gushing by her to see a real "_live_" vampire. There were many nights that she felt like a caged tiger in a large zoo and she knew, instinctively, the whys and hows of what happened to people who accidentally found themselves inside the cage. Yet she stood there dutifully as her Master wished. Tonight she wore one of her favorite ensembles, the black leather corset with blood red silk ribbons drawing it closed. She had chosen a long full skirt which came all the way to the ground. In spite of her complaining about the stifling nature of Victorian garb, sometimes, she longed for the familiarity of what she had once known. This skirt was that at least.

It was just past dusk when Pam felt the familiar stir of awakening. She had found it peaceful and languidly stretched against the soft butter creme of her sheets. To her left had laid her emergency phone, her bat phone as Sookie had called it and Eric had laughed at her for not knowing what it meant. She had made a mental note to rent the movie at some point, but when the Louisiana take over happened and they had all barely escaped with their undead lives, the idea slowly fell to the wayside. She noticed the fire red flashing against the darkness of her bed chamber. Even under normal circumstances, the use of the emergency phone wouldn't have phased her much. The sole intention of the phone was to give Sookie peace of mind. Pam knew that if a true need would've arisen she would have awoken to a very fear stricken yet wildly courageous Sookie Stackhouse hovering over her sleeping face and she on the floor of some filthy unkempt basement instead of relishing in the luxury of her down comforter.

She reached for the phone, two missed calls, two messages. She didn't have to be telepathic or have any preternatural gift to know who was calling. She hit the voice mail button and waited.

_Pam, it is Eric. I need you to come in early to Fangtasia tonight, I want to discuss the issue of...my scent_. He stammered, as if he were worried someone else may be listening . _We also need to discuss the importance of Compton's information. And, my child, I do not pine._

Her second message played.

_Hey Pam, it's Sookie. I'm ok, I'm alright, I'm better than alright. Listen, I'd really like to see you tonight, I was hoping we could go to Fangtasia. Call me as soon as you get up._

She spotted Sookie right away and even though it may have disappointed the "fans" at the door for not seeing the scowling, menacing vampire they anticipated, she smiled. A bright, genuinely happy smile to see her beloved friend. As Sookie approached, Pam was more than a little impressed that in tow she had with her Jason Stackhouse, wayward brother extraordinaire. Neither Sookie or Eric had known about her late night visits to the elder Stackhouse. Even though they were with the purest of intentions and despite Jason's more than eager pleas to the contrary, Pam was simply not interested in the boy in a romantic capacity. Her only concern was an attempt to rectify or force reconciliation if need be, the relationship between the siblings, She could not dwell long on the thought that Jason was here or the ramifications of what that might mean. She was too in awe of Sookie. She looked amazing in her vintage 60's inspired dress.

Eric, she thought, would be impressed too. He had been endlessly fascinated with the culture and counter culture of the era. He enjoyed that humans were opening up their minds to new ideas and new experiences and was especially pleased with the sexual awakening that was occurring. He had thought, even then, that someday soon it may be possible for vampires to walk freely among humans. He had invited her to come to San Fransisco to some large human gathering to celebrate free love and open minds. Pam saw it more of a chance for drug addled dirty people to get high and writhe all over one another. Eric, as usual, had been having a great time until he accidentally fed on a young hippie girl who was high on LSD. Accidentally meaning that Pam had totally and completely set him up for it. It had lessened her boredom ten fold to see her master giggling and conversing to the grass and complaining that the concrete was "wavy". Her fun decreased after several hours of,

"_No, master, there are not dancing bears here_." and "_Yes, master that is your hand. No, master I do not see rainbows coming out of it_."

Pam was shaken from her deluge of memories when Sookie and Jason approached. Her smile still glowing on her doll like face, she bent to kiss Sookie on each cheek.

"Sookie, dear, how very retro of you." she smiled winking in her direction. "My master will be so pleased to..." she paused to give Sookie the once over again. Had the women in front of her not been the object of affection for her beloved Eric, but also her very dear friend she would have had quite impure thoughts about the young lady...."see you" she finished.

"Thanks, Pam. You look great too." Sookie had plastered her awkward smile on her face, the one that always showed when she was trying too hard to be pleasing. She was nervous and it showed in her speech and on her face."

"He's here" Pam said as she leaned in towards her ear, "and no, he does not know you are coming. It will be...quite the surprise"

Pam stood back and raised her arm toward the open door. Sookie walked in past her, head held high and with determination on her face. Pam couldn't help but smile towards her backside as she walked in to the bar. Jason stepped around Pam to go in. With her vampire speed she spun to place her manicured hands up to his chest to block is entry. She said nothing, but arched an eyebrow and awaited a response.

Jason looked to the ground and kicked the gravel with the toe of his shoe like a scolded child,

"Hey, Miss Pam" he muttered toward the dirt.

"Miss?" she thought to herself. Someone was trying to be on thier best behavior.

"Why, Mr Stackhouse, it has been awhile," she began in her best southern belle drawl " Do tell, whatever did happen to your eye?"

Jason was obviously flustered, "You don't have to threaten me Pam, Sookie invited me here to give me a second chance and besides, she knows about all the late nights you've been spending with me I told her this afternoon."

Pam dropped her hand from his chest and and put her hands on each hip and looked around, obviously annoyed. "Well, shit. I can't have any fun" and with that she flipped the back of her hand towards the open door and ushered him in.

****************************************

Eric sat behind his desk with a weeks worth of inventory papers scattered across the top. He had been flipping through them for the better part of the last hour absorbing nothing, cost,revenue, it all steam rolled into one big ball of nothing. Even through the thick walls of his office the familiar thumps of the pumping music radiated through. At one time he had found it a welcome distraction now it was just another noise. His thoughts were captured, captivated, by the last words he had heard before falling into the abyss of his day time slumber.

"I miss you"

His heart, his head were subdued and made prisoner to those three words. They played over and over in his head. He cursed himself for not going to her sooner. For leaving the feelings that she had, that he had, so abandoned. He had decided, he would go to her tonight. In his mind he imagined finding her at her home, dressed in those ridiculous flannel pajamas that hid too much of her glorious flesh, lounging in front of a roaring fire. He imagined himself undressing her slowly and lavishing kisses all along the contours of her petite frame. Except for daytime hours, she would not have the chance to know the pain of missing him again.

He rose, turning to walk to the door when an all to familair ache settled into the center of his bones. A knock came to the door. A young vampire he had just hired to serve as a bouncer stuck his metal adorned head into the office.

"Master Eric, he questioned, "I know you didn't wish to be bothered, but the human girl....she is here'

Eric could only smile in return...I know."

*********************************************

She was walking steadfast into the bar with Pam and Jason in pursuit with one thought on her mind, "Where is Eric". She glanced toward the back of the dance floor where his throne chair sat ominously empty. Even in her boots she was still too short to see over most of the crowd. She arched up onto her tiptoes for a better view. The din of the music was overwhelming, the heavy bass and synthesized beats pounding in her chest giving her erratic heart beat steady competition. The sounds were dark, dirty and made for dancers to grind against each other in primal abandon. It was part of the draw of Fangstasia to release those animalistic urges under the guise of safety. The pulsating lights of the floor show caressed the revelers in shades of red to match the velvet interior of the bar. She turned back towards the bar to see Jason ordering a drink and Pam nodding toward a young looking vampire with the oddest collection of facial piercings and tattoos. The younger vamp took off for the back. But still Eric's chair remained empty.

" I brought you a drink," the voice was Pam's. In her hand she held a large wine glass with a dark red liquid inside.

"Thanks, Pam, but I don't drink wine very much, I'll just have a gin and tonic" The music was overwhelming, the pulse, heartbeat sound of the instruments continued while a singer screamed something about getting "closer to God"

Pam could only smile, she couldn't help it when her fangs ran down. The heady nature and sexual energy in the room was having it's own effect on her too."It's new Sookie, I designed it myself. You'll like it." she all but promised

She took the glass from Pam and took a quick swallow, It was warm, tingling in her throat all the way down. The thick raspberry liqueur rolled around her tongue, dancing against the thinner taste of vodka and peaches. It was good, really good. And really, really strong. Sookie's head felt light after just one drink, yet Pam encouraged her to finish the glass.

"Wow," Sookie gasped, "That is good. What is it" she asked, her head still a little woozy from the drink and swirling the remaining liquid around in the glass.

"It's called a Vampire's Kiss, charming isn't it?" she smiled looking in the direction of the young returned vamp and nodded in kind to his quickly bowed head. Good, Eric was coming. Pam looked up to see him, just barely hidden in the shadows of the employee only hall way. He was leaning against the doorway, his beautiful blond head resting against the frame, arms crossed in front of his chest. He looked amused yet patient. Curious, but not so much so that he would come into the light and reveal himself. Not yet.

Sookie had returned her attention to her nearly empty glass, she tilted it and choked back the remaining blood colored liquid. She knew why Pam had named her drink what she had. It was, in fact, almost as sweet and intoxicating as the blood that Eric had given her. She was more than a little jealous of knowing that all the hordes of fangbangers in the bar need only to order up the concoction to have a sample of his perfection . She was on the verge of ordering another, hell ordering them all, to keep the skanky girl in the mesh dress beside her from even ordering a sip. She had made the mistake of lowering her shields and listening to the girl's thoughts.

"_I hope the blond is here tonight, he is so sexy... the things I could do to him_....."

She quickly shut off her mind in disgust over what this tramp had intentions of trying to do with her bonded. She inwardly snarled her nose in distaste and secretly hoped that the girl in question tripped on her stripper heels. Before she could finish or act on the thought of ordering all the drinks and causing Ms. Mesh Disaster to bust her ass, Pam was there ushering her in the direction of the dance floor. Sookie dug in her chunky heels in defiance.

"You came here to have a good time, yes?" Pam asked. It was a rhetorical question. "So, she paused, let's dance"

Sookie, stammered, "But, what about Eric?"

"Exactly, my dear." and she pointed one delicate finger toward the blaring DJ booth, "You're on."

Pam led the way with one arm flung over her shoulder to grasp Sookie's hand. They walked, intertwined with Jason following close behind, through the throng on onlookers both vampire and human alike. Pam stopped as the music started,

"What are you thinking about" the female vocalist questioned. "The same thing you are", another voice through the speaker replied.

The beat that followed was hypnotic, sensual and soon Sookie found herself unable to resist it's call. She twirled and danced, moving her hips seductively to the music that flowed. Whether it was the drink, the environment, or just the thoughts of Eric that now came pouring through her mind like an open flood gate, she couldn't be sure. But she was enraptured by the sounds and by the easy torrent of movement that poured from her body. Eric was here, somewhere, watching, she felt and that only compounded her need to move.

Eric for his part, nudged himself from the shadows, compelled to get a closer look.

He had never, in all his long years, seen such raw and delicate beauty possessed in one woman. He walked closer to the stage, never breaking contact with the rhythmic movements of his lover's form. He stood behind his throne bracing his muscular arms against the solid oak frame. His eyes piercing into the vision of her. In another time this could have well counted with the Dance of the Seven Veils and he, like Herod before him, would be at her mercy and left worshipping at her feet.

His eyes took in the unbridled carnal movements. Surveying her up and down, the knee high black boots which hugged the curve of her toned calves. The sharp heel, which added length and lift to her already defined thighs and her superior ass. He paused and allowed his wet tongue to come out and flash over his parched lips in memory of the way she tasted, the way all of her tasted, and longed for the time in which he had been nestled contentedly between the warmth of those thighs. He looked higher, to the gentle roundness of her hips, which swayed provocatively beckoning him to her. The decadent curves of her ample breasts held tight by the binding leather. He was certain that his child had played a hand in the choice of apparel, knowing full well his affinity for the era. Either that or he indeed had a fairy godmother of his own. Had they been alone, he would've already ripped the dress from her golden body and have been teasing their light pink peaks until wails of delight burst from her mouth. He had decided that when that time came, he would leave the hat and the innocent ponytails that hung beneath it. Unintentionally he felt his fangs come down. He came at last to her eyes, the same brilliant blue as his own, although tonight shone like the most precious sapphires. He willed her to see him.

She turned, instinctivley, knowing her lover was there and watching. Still she danced. Her arms up above her head as her body rolled, passionately in undulating waves, lower. She caught his gaze and in return, did not break it. In one movement she lowered her entire body to the floor only to snap her knees straight again, giving him more than an ample view of the tender back of her thighs and then rolling herself back up again. It was a simple movement, but the effects were devastating. Even Pam could only arch a well defined eyebrow in surprise.

If she had imagined herself a rock star, then Jason Stackhouse had fancied himself her self appointed body guard. Sookie's dancing had garnered quite a bit of attention from vampire and human suitors alike. She was content to toy with them, allow them to think they were sharing a dance, until they got too close. Much to Pam's amusement, Jason who had been standing nearby, arms crossed with one hand up to his lips blocking the smile on his face, intervened. He deftly tapped the accusing male on the shoulder and with one finger pointing to the seat of Eric's throne and wagging another in a "no no no".

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The song ended and Sookie still held Eric's longing gaze. He stepped from behind the solid oak of his throne revealing himself in whole to her. It was the first time that she was able to see him. He stood, his frame towering over the crowd. His long blond hair hanging loose along his wide shoulders. The tight blue ribbed tee accentuating his powerful chest and arms and matching spectrum for spectrum the blue of his eyes. His long powerful legs draped in his cut just right dark jeans. He was a vision. Her memories served no justice to him. Her heart quickened with the sight of him, pounding faster than the now nearly inaudible music. He said nothing, but all she could hear was him.

"Come to me" his silence said and he extended an outstretched hand for her.

Her hand crossed the smooth coolness of his palm and he pulled her up to him, staring intently into her eyes. Electric currents surged through each of them. With a simple movement she was seated in the chair that sat beside his massive throne like seat and Eric was kneeling before her. His thoughts had gone beyond the immediate lustful need to have her, then and there. Instead his thoughts flowed to her courage, her bravery in not only testing the bond, but by coming here tonight to seek him out. He was shamed that a creature so much more fragile than himself could bolster such tenacity when he had not. He was dazzled by this woman, by his woman.

He bent his head to her, the golden locks of his hair teasing playfully across the expanse of her thighs. Eric found the back of her knee and lifted it slightly to meet the pleasurable pressure of his soft waiting lips.

Sookie' sigh bordered on orgasmic, and yet her gaze never broke his.

"You honor me, Sookie. I am yours, for as long as you will have me." He spoke gently turning his head toward her so that her knee now nuzzled against the porcelain of his cheek. "And I have missed you as well."

Sookie's eyes welled with tears, he had heard her. He smiled up at her, that rogue smile that melted what precious pieces of her heart remained in solid form after hearing the gentle purr that was her lover's voice. She could only smile in return.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update. There have been a lot of unpleasant things going on here and I have been a little more than distracted. I wanted to say thank you to all the reviewers and the people who took the time to send me messages expressing interest in the continuation of this story. You don't know how helpful that was. So here is Chapter 9, I'm almost finished with 10 as well and hope to have it up soon

*I don't own any of the SVM characters, Charlaine Harris does*

Chapter 9

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I could nothing but stare back into the depths of Eric's eyes, now tinged the lightest pink as what could only be tears welled up inside them. My own eyes threatening to spill over. I hadn't expected this. I had expected him to want me, of course. I had expected him to be strong, and hard and animalistic when he finally swept me up into his granite chest. I had expected to be taken and rutted against in front of God and everybody until we both were quivering remnants of our former selves. That I had expected. That, on some small level, I had wanted for myself. The ease of a tangled mass of hair and sweat. The release of flesh on flesh.

I had never expected him to be at my feet, his delicate tresses tickling the bareness of my exposed thighs, his gentle kisses sparking fires against my skin, his eyes brimming with bloody tears. His unbeating heart laid bare. I was humbled and in awe. Whatever I had done to win the affection of this magnificent ancient man, I couldn't begin to know. I was so lost in the beauty of his face that I momentarily forgot to breathe, more importantly I forgot to keep my shields up. The thoughts of on-lookers raged inside my brain and I was powerless to stop it.

...._who does she think she is...._

_....wow, who knew vampires could be so romantic...._

_....i don't know what he sees in that little slut...she's not even that pretty_

I closed my eyes against the onslaught, gritting my teeth and feeling hot, wet painful tears burn down my cheeks. I let out the smallest of whimpers. Even in this moment, this perfect moment, it couldn't be just Eric and I. Instead it was Eric and I and a bar full of envious fang-bangers whose toxic thoughts raced through my mind like cars in the Indianapolis 500.

"Lover, look at me." He spoke gently. I could do nothing but comply with his request. I opened my eyes to see him staring back into mine with so much love and so much honesty that I again felt faint. And in that instant when my eyes met his again, the voices stopped. The people were still there, mingling, dancing, drinking and on occasion shooting daggers with their eyes in my general direction. But the voices were mercifully silent. I was even freed up momentarily to glance toward the bar to see Pam very much trying to avoid the affections of one Jason Stackhouse without striking him dead on the spot.

The imagined conversation between them lightened my mood and Eric picked up on it instantly. He turned toward the bar briefly to shake his head and smile at the antics of my older brother before turning that blindingly perfect smile back to me.

"Eric, did you do that? I was hearing thoughts, everyone's thoughts, and they weren't very pretty," I sniffed mid-sentence, "But then, I looked at you and they were gone."

Eric raised his hand to my face, never leaving his knees and caressed my still damp cheeks. "As much as I would like to be the hero in this tale, my lover, it was all you. It is always you. You are stronger than you know. I simply gave you courage to use that strength", he ended with another flame inspiring kiss upon my knee, "as always".

_You are stronger than you know_...my mind ran over that thought. It seemed as if I had just heard those words in my not very distant past. I glanced nervously around the still mentally silent bar. Eric looked up at me, his eyes studying mine to find a hint of what to say next.

"Dearest Sookie, if you would like to leave, just say the word. I will leave everything under Pam's care and we can go." He winked in my direction and his angelic smile turned into that devilish grin that turned my insides to molten lava. "besides, there is the issue of a private dance that I would like to discuss with you."

I had to stifle myself for the moment, yes I very much wanted that. But I steeled myself against giving in so quickly and hastening off in retreat from this room of women (and maybe even some men from what I could pick up on) who would gladly throw me to the proverbial wolves to get as close as I was to Eric. Luckily for me, I was a friend of every pack in Louisiana and some elsewhere too. Chances are, I'd be ok if that happened. No, I needed to learn to control my responses. I needed to get used to the fact that Eric was a very handsome, very powerful and very sought after. He was also, as evidenced by tonight, very in love with me. Fang-bangers, though I may not like it, were something that I was going to have to get used to. And I would be damned if they'd run me off with a few jealous thoughts.

I smiled back at him with as sultry a look as I was capable of, "No, Eric, we don't need to leave. At least not right away."

He looked almost disappointed. For the second time tonight, I reached out to him and let my warm hands touch the cool porcelain of his face, I let my fingers trail down over his lips and linger there hoping my fingerprints would remember them with the same fondness that my lips had. I looked out into the crowd again,

"Look at this place Eric, this is yours. You did all of this. People come from miles away to see this place that you've built from nothing, to see you. Please let me just be here to share it with you. Give me this moment to just be proud of you."

His head dipped and laid gracefully in my lap, I heard a low growl come from deep within him and I panicked. Had I said the wrong thing? Maybe the suggestion that I wanted to share in Fangtasia was too much and misunderstood entirely. I reached both hand to his golden head and questioned,

"Eric?"

I was rewarded with that same devilish grin that I loved so much,

"Woman, you will be my undoing," he laughed. "I thought that I would have a hard time restraining myself before, but now you are not only here with me but proud of me and proud to be here? I may have to take you right here in this chair". I felt his hand slide slowly up the inside of my thigh on a direct course for my center. He leaned forward and rose up toward me. His face lightly grazing my tightly bound breasts. I instinctively leaned forward to press into him when I felt a rush of wind suck into him and he stopped cold.

I looked down to see him holding the necklace and staring at it in wild eyed wonder. He turned the delicate black piece over and over in his massive hands. I guess Amelia was right, platinum not silver. I would've never put it on if I had any doubts. He studied it for what seemed and eternity, smoothing the stone between his thumb and forefinger. His expression never changed. He was awe-struck and seemed far away.

"Eric? What is it?"

He shook himself from his disbelief for a moment and swallowed hard,

"Sookie, do you know what this is? This symbol?" He asked, his voice was almost trembling. I thought that if whatever this necklace was or meant was enough to scare a 1000 year old Viking vampire, I sure didn't want it on me.

"No", I answered feebly and reached my free hand around to undo the clasp and just get it off me, "Eric you're scaring me."

"Shh, no, no." he grabbed my hands and pulled them back to my lap and cradled them in his. "It is the Valknútr."

He was smiling now at least, that made me feel a little bit better, "Valknutr?" I asked, "what does that mean?"

He smiled again, "In old Norse, my father's language, it represents a symbol to Odin. Warriors would mark their shields or even their bodies with the three triangles as a symbol that they would gladly die in battle whenever Odin chose to call them home to Valhalla."

"So, you've seen it before then?" I asked, not the most astute question, I know, but I've just had a hell of a lot of information thrown my way.

"You could say that," he muttered quietly. "How is it that you came to have this?" He held the triangle pendant up to me. I grasped it with my own fingers and began looking it over myself. I strained against the dim lighting and the pulsating flashes of the ongoing floor show to try and see the tiny scratches that Amelia had spoke of,

"Jason gave it to me, " I started, "well he didn't actually_ give_ it to me as much as it was wrapped up in a box on my porch and he brought it in."

"Lover, this is vitally important." he began, "was there anything on the box, an address, anything?"

"No Eric, there wasn't. I thought it was a gift from you, it was the only reason I put it on. Who does this belong to?."

He sighed, even though he doesn't have to, and rose to take his seat in his "throne" beside me. He looked at me steadily, disbelief still marring his beautiful features. He studied me over and over finally his lips began to turn upwards at their corners again and he was smiling, "It belongs to you," he said reaching out his hand to interlace his fingers with mine.

"But you didn't send it to me?" I asked, "This isn't your gift?" I was still afraid, still debating on whether or not to take it off and fling it into the crowd sending them into a frenzy to retrieve something of Eric's.

"Oh" he sighed, shaking his head, "it is mine. But I didn't send it to you. I have not seen the Valknútr since the night of my mortal death."

"Eric?" I questioned, "Can you ask Pam to bring me another drink?"

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With several of Pam's special drinks under my belt and a few dozen uneasy reassurances from both Eric and Pam that my newly acquired piece of jewelry was nothing more than a symbol of protection, I had started to relax and enjoy my time with those I felt closest to; Eric, Pam and Jason. Eventually, my human needs called and I excused myself. Pam offered to accompany me which I found both refreshing and ridiculous. As much as I adored the fact that we were becoming such close friends that we could do the whole bathroom thing together, I knew that she had absolutely no need to go there. Vampires don't pee for one thing and for two, they don't sweat so her make-up and hair was still as pristine as when she walked in. Her mission would be to "protect" me from marauding fang-bangers and I knew I needed to learn fast how to handle those women on my own.

As I walked away, I heard Pam muttering something about the necklace. It may have been the noise of the crowd and the fact that i can't exactly hone in on a vampire's thoughts combined with my third drink, but I couldn't make out anything other than the name, "Gravois". Hmm, sounded fancy. Maybe it was a popular vampire jeweler, kind of like "Jared's" was for humans.

Just as I expected, after finishing my needs and turning toward the immaculately clean vanity in the ladies restroom to wash my hands, in walked Ms. Mesh Disaster. I did a quick run through of her mind as she stood there arms akimbo and glaring at me through her obviously false eyelashes. Her name was Catrina and she had been here almost every night for the last 4 months trying desperately to get Eric's attention and had been not so gently turned down on every occasion. Of course, like most fang-bangers, she cared nothing for the man on the throne, only what he personified. She was about the appearance, nothing more.

I turned to her, my eyes and my face set in ultimate defiance, "You're wondering what I have that you don't?" I raised my eyebrows to her. The question was rhetorical but I expected her to be too dense to know that. Before she began to speak, I heard the litany of slurs coming at me from her head.

"Uh-uh" I put my hand up in front of her and shook my head. "What I have, is him. If you question it, threaten it or otherwise look at it funny through your tarantula looking eyelashes again, I will see to it that you meet the not-so- sexy side of a hungry vampire. Are we very, very clear?" I waited for retaliation. Instead she scooted out the door nearly running over Pam, who upon hearing the exchange, dropped her very deadly fangs and said,

"Did someone say, hungry?" She laughed a little too loudly as the girl did indeed trip on her stripper heels and nearly went careening across the slick black floor.

Pam then turned to me, her smile widening, "Sookie, my dear, did you just threaten to feed that poor creature to a hungry vampire?" she asked incredulously?

I crossed my arms over myself and gave a good hmmph in response, "Maybe"

Pam crossed her arms across her chest in kind and nodded, " I am so telling Eric"

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Ok here it is. You all will either love it or hate it after this. Hopefully it will be the first one. I really do appreciate all the positive reviews and for those of you that are hanging in there with me for the ride. It's about to get bumpy..in more ways than one *wink*

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Chapter 10.

I stood staring myself down in the mirror. There was no sense in trying to catch up to Pam. I'd last seen her grinning like the Cheshire Cat with a bird between it's teeth darting off to report my show-down to Eric. Even if I wanted to, there would be no beating her to him. In spite of her vampire speed, the fact that she had a juicy piece of information made her no match for my merely mortal feet. I could do nothing but imagine her leaned into Eric's throne like the haughty, beautiful big sister I'd never had spilling all my beans. The thought brought a smile to my face. Pam was indeed priceless to me. Forever trapped in a teenagers body and sometimes, just sometimes that cruel killer she had become slipped below the surface and she was what she was...a big spoiled brat. And I, loved her for it.

I returned to my reflection. There had been times over the years that I had barely recognized myself. Tonight had been one of them. I thought about all of the times that I had stood up for myself, defended what was mine. Of the few times that I had been notably on the offensive, it had been because my life (or the lives of others) had been most certainly in danger. There were other times sure, when snide remarks and less than killing blows hit home, I recalled the snarky comments of Selah Pumphrey, how she had tried to hurt me by showing off her relationship with Bill and I for the most part had let that slide. Partly because I was just too tired to commit myself to fight over someone who, though I cared deeply for, had just not shown that same level of romantic commitment for me. I thought about Arlene. Though I secretly plotted her demise (sort of, I mean come on, she is a mother) I still couldn't bring myself to be anything other than passive about her digs and slings.

Tonight there had been nothing passive about my aggression. I had stood my ground and marked my territory with Eric against one fang-banger. One small step for Sookie-kind, I figured. If Pam needed to report that, then fine. There would be many more, unfortunately, chances for her to do so. I certainly wasn't going anywhere and Eric, would always be Eric. Beautiful, erotic, and painfully sexy, Eric and there was a world full of Catrina's. Of course there was one less at Fangtasia now.

I took to finger combing through my long, blond pony tails and with a tissue from the dispenser, dabbed under my eyes where fresh tears had smudged my black eyeliner. I was heading back out to sit with Eric for the rest of the evening, I wanted to at least look nice. I was caught up in my beauty ritual when the door swung open again, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Oh, Miss Stackhouse, I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone was in here." the girl spoke. Her name was Lisbeth, short for Elizabeth I picked out from her racing brain. She was 23, and though she was desperately afraid of vampires and shockingly enough, me, she had taken this job because she knew the tips were good and she had a younger sister with disabilities she was trying to care for. I instantly liked her.

I smiled at her, "It's fine, Lisbeth, is it?" she seemed shocked that I knew her name until I pointed at the red, fanged, name pin on her uniformed chest. "Please, call me Sookie. I was just freshening up, I'll be out of your way in a snap."

The girl breathed an audible sigh of relief, "Thanks Miss St...I mean Sookie, " she stammered lightly. She began again hesitant, "Can I...." she trailed off.

I raised my eyebrows and waited a continuation.

"Well, I just wanted to say Miss, I mean Sookie, sorry" she hesitated again, "that you and Mr. Northman look real nice together". She smiled at me, obviously proud that she had finished a complete sentence about Mr. Northman without crying. I felt instantly closer to this young girl.

"Thank you so much Lisbeth, that is a really nice thing to say, and you know what, tonight I really needed to hear something nice." I smiled in her direction.

"You're welcome, "she beamed. "Mr. Northman seems a nice man, a strict boss, but that's ok." She giggled and then paused reflectively glancing down toward my chest. "Oh" she gasped, "That's a beautiful necklace."

"Oh," I looked down toward my own chest and picked the shiny black stones up with the ends of my fingers, rolling it around carefully. Something just wasn't adding up in my head. In spite of Eric and Pam's assurance that it meant nothing. It could not mean nothing. Eric had admitted that it was his and that he hadn't seen it since the night he became a vampire. It begged the question where the hell had it been all this time and why was it showing up now? I had a sneaky suspicion that Eric and Pam were doing what Eric and Pam do best, sneaky vampire shit and it bothered me to no end that I was being left out of the loop. Especially since whatever was going on, I was obviously the target. Hadn't I proved myself enough?

Lisbeth seemed to sense my frustration and I could feel the sorrow for bringing it up rolling off her in waves. "Well, Sookie, it was nice to speak with you, I need to get on back out there." She smiled in earnest, I could feel her thoughts coming toward me..._please don't be mad at me, please don't be mad at me...._ "Maybe I can bring you a drink a little later? I noticed you liked the new drink Miss Pam thought up."

"Yeah, um sure", I said back shaking myself out of my daze and letting her off her self-imposed hook. "That'd be real nice Lisbeth, I'd like that. And speaking of that drink, " I added devilishly, "If anyone else should happen to ask for one, let's just tell them that we're out, ok?"

It was a small concession and I took it....sue me.

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I returned to the front of the club to see Eric relaxing back in his beloved chair watching the crowd with an all too amused look on his face. He was leaned back, one strong leg crossed upon the other with one hand carefully guarding the smile escaping his mouth. I was quite surprised to find Pam nowhere around. He rose to his full impressive height and extended his hand toward mine and pulled me straight up into his arms laying the softest of kisses along side my cheek.

"My lover," he smiled at me, those eyes once brimming with tears now brimming with laughter. "I'm afraid we may have to leave sooner than expected, I fear my immortal life may be in danger."

I panicked and pulled back clutching the necklace with my free hand, "Eric what's wrong? What happened?"

He laughed, that loud boisterous laugh that I had come to know and love when he stayed with me. The one that was so earnest that it nearly shook his entire body. He turned me around to see the bar and to see Pam glaring at us both with a face full of shocked disbelief from around Jason's muscular frame. She was shaking her head as if threatening to stake someone on the spot. Eric laughed again, bending at the waist. If he had breath to catch, now would be the time to try in vain to do it.

"Eric, what is it?, " I laughed at him, his laughter, like all things about him, was contagious and I couldn't help myself from giggling along with him."

He allowed us to be seated as he replayed the events of what had transpired during my time in the ladies room. I'd never known Eric as a man to do impressions, but he had my brother nailed.

"He actually asked your permission to "court" Pam?" I was almost yelling with laughter.

"Yes, dear one, he did." Eric replied. "He said that since I was her maker, and technically her "father" that he felt it necessary to ask my permission before attempting to woo her. Of course I gave my blessing."

"Oh, GOD!", I was instantly embarrassed for Jason, a little sorry for Pam and a lot disappointed in Eric right now. "Eric, he may be a total jackass sometimes, but he's still my brother. I can't let you set him up like that"

He looked a little hurt, "Sookie, are you saying that you don't think that our Pam is good enough for your brother?" The accusation in his tone hurt my feelings right back.

"No, of course not Eric. Pam is great, she is beyond great. She might kill him in his sleep, but she's great." I said with a little too much sarcasm in my voice.

"Good, then it is settled, " he proclaimed triumphantly, "Your brother may seek the affections of my child and perhaps it will be good for both of them."

"Oh really, Eric and how's that?" As much as I was still sort of angry with him, I couldn't help but smiling at his angelic face. This reborn prankster Eric was so much of what I had missed when he regained his memories.

"Perhaps it will teach him how to be a good man to a strong, passionate woman and it will teach her not to tattle on my Sookie ever again", he smiled and leaned in to kiss me. Our lips hovered over each other for what seemed a lifetime before gently sliding across one another, the heat between us stroking flames that had long since turned to embers.

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The night was progressing so well that I was loathe to bring up anything unpleasant. Eric sat at ease by my side, his hand either draped across the back of my chair or lingering with mine, interlacing our fingers together. Pam and Jason at one point unexpectedly joined us on the raised stage momentarily. Jason was positively beaming and Pam, well Pam was making that "_I'm so bored, I could stake myself to get away_" face that she had all but made famous to the rest of the Fangtasia tourists.

I turned once more to Eric, his proud profile still scanning the crowd. He even smiled at some of the tourists who asked to take his picture. I didn't want to break the spell on our happiness. But I had to.

"Eric, please tell me again about the necklace." I pleaded with him.

He turned to me, even in his happiness the worry in his face was unmistakable. I had expected more promises of protection, more admonishments about worrying too much. Instead, I got much more.

"It was given to me by my father following my first successful battle. It had been given to him as a token of appreciation from a King in what's now known as Iceland for duty in battle." he began. "I have explained to you it's significance, yes?"

I nodded my head in agreement, "Yep, Odin, Valhalla, Valkyries, got it."

"Upon my death, it would not have gone with me to the other side, it would've been removed from my body and given to the next of my line, my son". he continued. "As my body was never "recovered" from the last battle for I had been made a vampire, I returned the necklace to my father's longhouse in the night."

"Eric," I could feel my eyes welling up with tears, "you had a son?"

He shook his head and looked down at the floor, revisiting this history was obviously painful for him and I instantly felt sorry for bringing it up. Especially here, especially at Fangtasia. These were the kind of stories best kept for cool nights in front of a raging fire where we could take comfort in one another should the need arise. I reached my hand out to him laying it gently on the strong rise of his bicep.

"No, " he finished, "I did not have a son. A daughter, yes. She would've been 11 when I became vampire. The Valknútr would've been returned to my father, or given to one of my brothers until the time which my own had a son. It was our way."

He spoke so matter of fact on the subject that it stumbled me. A daughter? My mind tried to envision what she must of looked like, all of Eric's light and beauty scaled down and tapered to the dainty little girl size. She must have been magnificent. I couldn't ever do the unknown child justice in my head. I couldn't even try.

"But how did it end up here, Eric? 1000 years later and here it is? Who would've had it all this time? And why send it to me, why not just give it back to you?"

"I do not know, lover" He spoke with some trepidation in his voice. "I only know that the Valknútr has protected me many times in battle, and I hope that it served my line well. I can only imagine that it is here now to protect that which is most dear to me now, you".

"You hope it served your line well?" You don't know, you didn't keep up with them?" The prospect shocked me. Hell even Bill managed to keep tabs on the Bellefleurs even though they hated his undead guts.

"I would've been a danger to them, Sookie. Things were not always as they are now. I could not risk that. The only thing I know for certain is that my daughter passed peacefully into the next life on her 54th birthday. As for her sons, I know nothing." He shut off all emotion. I guess he considered the matter closed. Luckily or unluckily for me, I didn't.

"I heard a name, Eric. Gravois? When you and Pam were talking. Who is that?" I asked.

He lowered himself to me, coming very near to my face and speaking barely above a whisper. "Aldric Gravois, a very old, very powerful King of the European nations. He is someone that we _will_ discuss and soon, but not here and not so freely."

I dared to mutter one more question, "Could he be behind the necklace?"

Eric looked at me sternly, "I don't know."

The night was flying by. Against my better judgement, I had allowed Lisbeth to bring me another one of Pam's special concoctions and she winked in conspiracy as she handed it to me. It had allowed me to relax and just enjoy time with Eric in spite of the fact that I had a slew of unanswered questions. I realized that of course there was danger, there is and always will be danger where Eric is concerned. One doesn't live as long as he has without harboring a few enemies. Hell, look how many I'd racked up in my short time on earth. I needed to learn to accept that and not let it keep from enjoying this thing, whatever it was, that I had found with him. I found that I was soon smiling to myself, smiling at Eric and just relishing in the atmosphere of Fangtasia. Which, if you've never been and aren't in any immediate danger, is quite the sight to take in. Before long, Pam was behind my shoulder whispering sneakily into my ear.

"Sookie, dear, you know that I hold you very dear to my heart, but I am either going to have to have an over-abundance of sexual relations with your brother or I am going to have to glamour him senseless to leave me be" She sounded absolutely exasperated.

I laughed out loud and turned my head toward her beautiful face, "Or....you could do both Pam."

Her beautiful face fell, her mouth gaped wide open as if she had never thought of that and she scurried off quickly, her long dress floating effortlessly behind her. I had figured she was off to find Jason. I really should've included a strict no biting clause.

"What was that all about?" Eric asked quizzically

"Don't you worry about mister," I said smiling, "It's girl talk." We both laughed and allowed the surreal aura of the room take us in for a few unguarded moments.

In an instant, something in the room changed. The lightness of the air collapsed in on itself like a dying star and became charged. An audible hush fell over the crowd. I raised my head, still a little fuzzy from one too many "Vampire Kisses" (both kinds actually) and sought out what had brought about the change in the mood. In his seat beside me, Eric shifted uncomfortably. His interest was clearly piqued. I heard what can only be described as a pleasurable moan escape him. His eyes studied the dance floor and I looked as well for the cause of the commotion. Then I saw her.

The crowd of people parted for her. She walked the causeway with a swagger seen only by large predator jungle cats. The humans among the throng scattered like mice in front of her. I turned to Eric whose eyes were still fixed and unwavering. The glint of admiration shining wildly. Of course it was. I had once thought that Heather Beauchamp was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. She was Bon Temps High School's resident beauty queen and reigning royalty for every prom and homecoming court during her tenure. She had long silky brown hair and big doe eyes and an air of confidence that matched no other. Then I had met Pam and from that moment I was pretty sure that in fact, she was the prettiest woman I'd ever seen with her pale blond hair and her petite doll like features. Of course that led me to Claudine whose statuesque beauty had kept in close running with them all. Beside any and all of them, I felt very much like the shrinking violet. With this woman who was ever so slowly walking, or should I say stalking, toward Eric and I, I felt like the pile of dung that the violet shrunk into.

My mind drifted back to the first night at Fangtasia, when Bill had brought me here and I first came into contact with my now bonded lover. I remembered with all new clarity the pain in his face when I had asked him who Eric was. He had said, "Everyone notices Eric". And as sure as I'm sitting here, everyone noticed her.

"Eric?" I muttered feebly.

"Hmmm" was the only response I got. The pangs of jealously were slicing my insides. Was he so enthralled with her that he couldn't even look at me?The me who he had gotten down on bended knee and promised himself to no less than two hours before? I was seething with anger. The girl in question slinked closer. Now that the light show had come to almost a total halt, my human eyes could adjust to the light to see her. She was tall, even by Claudine's standard's. Her skin shone with a pearls hue of the preternatural. Her long wheat blond hair tumbled down over her clearly defined shoulders and past her delicate waist in arranged disarray. It was the sexy "bed-head" that I myself had tried, but never pulled off like this. Her features were beautiful and fierce, her wide set crystal blue eyes, her perfect nose, full lips and slim jaw line. Where I had curves, she had muscles, lithe, powerful muscles. And where she had curves, she had them in spades. I had heard of Amazon's before, I never thought they were real. And I certainly never expected them to look like they had just stepped off the movie set of The Matrix.

She looked like pure, liquid sex poured into the latex of her shiny black outfit, all the way down to the very spiked heel of her tall, black boots. The vampires among the crowd all raised their heads, sniffing ominously at the air and then stepping back and bowing their heads in deference to her. I searched the crowd frantically for Pam. I found her standing on the outside of the astonished crowd. Her eyes wild and wide. She stepped in front of the approaching woman, halting her parade. The two stared wildly at one another for what could've passed as hours but were more like mere seconds. The woman dipped her head low to Pam who only continued to stare incredulously. Her eyes darted back to mine and then quickly to Eric. Back and forth frantically looking for answers from both of us and finding none.

The woman stepped finally up onto the raised section of the stage where Eric and I sat waiting. I continued pleading with him silently with my eyes for him to please speak to me. I had hoped that some small semblance of whatever was in our blood bond would break the obvious spell this woman had cast. Instead, his eyes changed. A flash of recognition came over his handsome face and for a moment he seemed haunted. He reached across the divide to take my hand and squeeze it, hard. The woman smiled down warmly at Eric and nodded her head to him. He in turn, smiled back before turning that smile to me. A peace had come over him, I had never seen such a glow about him.

The woman then turned to me. She kneeled at my feet, bowing her golden head almost level to the floor.

"My mistress, " she spoke. Her voice was as smooth and as fluid as water.

I was so confused, Mistress? Me? Not hardly.

She raised her head to look at me, her eyes bore into mine and the lips turned upward in a wicked smile. I gasped, I knew both those features like the inside of my own heart, which was now beating so erratically that I feared it may leap from my chest and go skittering across the room. She whispered in that unknown language the words I had heard before.

____

"Mitt svärd, mitt blod till din ära"

, My sword, my blood, for your honor" she translated with ease.

She rose once more, her full height once again in front me and stepped in front of Eric.

"Offer me a drink," she spoke, her accent was unmistakable, European to be sure, but something else as well. Something familiar.

"Why would I want to do that?" Eric asked coyly, never breaking his half amazed smile.

She returned the smile in kind and for the first time allowed her fangs to become fully extended, "Because, I have just killed three of de Castro's minions outside for planning less than gentlemanly affairs with my mistress," she nodded toward me and paused for genuine effect, "I am....thirsty". The intended effect was lost on no one, least of all me. It was all I could to to choke back a gasp. It was all becoming so achingly obvious to me.

Before he had a chance to answer, my brother, either tired of trying to win Pam's affections or simply in hiding from hers, slipped up behind the stunning mystery woman. He slid his very drunk and very mistaken hands against the contours of her hips in a half-hearted attempt at the "sexy Jason dance."

"Hey, baby, lookin' good, lookin' good. You here to have a good time?" Obviously his former commitment to Pam was seriously forgotten.

The woman cocked her head sideways in confusion toward me and then toward Eric. Before either of us could mutter an "I'm sorry", she smiled and brought her right forearm straight back to connect squarely with Jason's nose. He stumbled back squalling, fresh blood spewing from his surely broken nose. She didn't hesitate. In a flash she was kneeling on the ground and throwing her right leg out behind her, knocking Jason off his feet and he landed firmly on his ass. That would not be the end of the show. She leaped into the air, flipping her lengthy frame gracefully backward and landing behind him. She clutched his head, jerking it painfully aside to expose the soft skin of his neck. Her fangs were fully out and she grinned that all too familiar devilish grin. Her pink tongue lightly caressing one of the long sharp teeth slyly. She looked very comfortable in a fight and seemed just as formidable as........

"NO", Pam and I both screamed in tandem.

The woman stopped and poised a questioning eye at both Eric and I.

"He's my brother, he's drunk, I'm sure he meant you no offense." I pleaded with her.

The woman took her cue and started to release Jason from her deadly grasp. But not before taking her tongue and running it up the full side of his neck, from collarbone to ear lobe. She closed her eyes in delight, "MMMM" she groaned, "fairy".

"Fairy?" Jason questioned in amazement, "I ain't no damn fairy, I'm all man baby".

"Ugh, Pam, get him out of her please" I asked to my friend, who was more than happy to get Jason out of the line of fire before he got himself killed. I had no idea what sort of chastising he would recieve at Pam's hands, but he full well deserved it after that display.

It was Eric's turn to speak. I studied him again his eyes were once more pink tinged as if tears might come flooding out easily. Yet he smiled and with fondness coating his voice like warm honey and said,  
"You have your grandmother's eyes."

The woman now standing having released my brother to Pam's able hands, nodded, her own eyes tinged with the light pink moisture and smiled, "and I'm told, her father's lust for battle".

She bowed her head low to him, bending at the waist.

I couldn't help it, I busted out with a very loud escape of air. Amazon? No. Viking? yes.

Eric turned to me, his eyes still showing signs of shock, "Sookie, my love, this is my.....grandaughter?" His own voice seemed choked with disbelief.

"Great-grand daughter, actually grand-sire" The woman proclaimed proudly, "My name is Kerra. Kerra Norman Gravois."

I couldn't help myself any longer, I laughed hysterically until I thought I might faint from the lack of oxygen. I was looking dead on at what could possibly the absolutely, most terrifying creature ever known:

Eric...with boobs (really great ones too) and the ability to PMS.

I did the only thing a girl could do in that instant....

"LISBETH," I yelled across the bar unceremoniously and certainly not becoming of my own upbringing...."I'M GONNA NEED ANOTHER DRINK!"

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Just wanted to take a second to thank everyone again for your reviews. It thrill me to no end that you guys are enjoying this.

*I don't own any of the SVM characters, Charlaine Harris does!*

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Chapter 11.

At Pam's instance and with Eric's full approval I was forbidden a further drink from Lisbeth's able hands. I sulked briefly before admitting that it was probably for the best. At the rate I was going tonight, I was either going to end up under the table and unable to comprehend the enormity of what was happening or worse later black out forgetting about all the intense reconciliation sex I had intended on having with Eric. If _that_were to happen then I made a promise before God that I'd head straight to the nearest AA meeting in the morning and leave all the drinking ways behind, for good. Pam also had the good sense about her to make sure that the bar closed early and uneventfully. It wasn't hard to feel the disappointment among the crowd of on lookers, it was palpable. Some wanted to see the remnants of a show down between Jason and Kerra. But most just wanted to see Kerra. Who could blame them? She was like the rest of her family, like Eric seated casually beside me, beyond beautiful.

At last the final patron had made thier way out the door with Pam's blessing behind them. Her blessings sound a little more like, "_Get the hell outta here, speak nothing of what you saw or I will kill you in your bed_." than "_Drive safe and have a nice night_.". But that's Pam, at some point you just accept it. Lisbeth, bless her little country heart, although she had been instructed not to supply me with any more alcohol, she did see to it that I had a tall glass of iced sweet tea in front of me before she scurried out the door. She handed me the glass with a look that said, "_I'm sorry"._Somewhere along the evening she had decided that I was obviously less scary than Mr. Northman and between the two of us his bidding was the one to be done. It hurt a little, we bonded in the bathroom for Christ's sake, but all in all probably a wise decision. When this is all over with, I think Eric should give her a raise.

Finally we sat, scattered in booths, chairs and thrones, our own little macabre Brady Bunch. None of us seemed overly offended at the awkward silence that followed. For my part, it was easy to feign a drunken stupor as cause for my silence. But the truth was, despite what Pam and Eric believed and what Lisbeth and I knew to be true, I wasn't drunk. I was stunned into silence.

There is a certain melancholy that comes from the mighty pendulum swing between gain and loss. I had lost Gran, and soon after Jason, but I had gained Niall and Claudine. I had lost Bill but gained Eric and Pam and through her, regained some sort of relationship with Jason. It appeared for all intents and purposes, that I had indeed come full circle. I wondered silently, my mind taking twists and turns like a raging river through a narrow gorge, what Eric must be feeling under the same circumstances. He too, had lost some one, his daughter, but had gained Pam and now for reasons I couldn't begin to comprehend, his grand-daughter sat proudly before him. Her features, her presence so very near to his own that they could easily pass for twin brother and sister. I looked to my own brother, still nursing his busted nose, hovered over valiantly by Pam with her own ever-perfect posture and doll like face.

I waited patiently for one of us to speak. I knew it couldn't, shouldn't be me, I prayed that it wouldn't be Jason and hoped very much it would be Eric. But it was Pam who broke the silence. Her voice lilting gently through the deserted bar as cheerful as a morning bird song. How out of place it seemed.

"Can I get you a drink, Kerra?" she turned toward Eric as if to ask permission, "Perhaps a bottle of Royalty Blended for the occasion?"

Eric remained silent. I think the shock of finding out that he had a living (ha) relative was still hanging over him like a rain cloud. He continued to stare in Kerra's direction. He was so still that I thought about waving my hand in front of his face to make sure that he hadn't slipped into his "down time". Eric is not really known as a man of few words, in fact most of the time he had a comment for everything. There's an old saying around Merlotte's, "_Don't let your mouth write a check that your ass can't cash"_. Eric's (most delicious and very capable) ass could cash the Publisher's Clearing House check with minimal effort. His continued silence made me more than a little nervous.

Kerra turned a sheepish smile to Pam, "Thank you, but no sister. I actually kind of...um...am Royalty Blended. I will take a regular AB negative if you have it."

Pam nodded in supplication, but I could tell that she found it a bit presumptuous that Kerra had referred to her as sister. She may look an eerily great deal like her beloved Master, but there was no guarantee that she was anything like him. She reached deftly behind the bar and grabbed the requested drink and slid it a little too forecfully into the microwave at her eye level. Her long tapered nails clicked the buttons furiously. The ominous beep, beep, beep, followed by the whir of electronics was the only sound in the bar. It was strange that it had gotten so quiet, so fast.

I couldn't help myself. Knowing what I know about blood drinks, which I'll admit is minimal even though I serve them nightly and 90% of my closest friends survive off them, I knew that Royalty Blended was supposed to be a mix of synthetic blood and the real live blood of members of the royal family. I often secretly wondered if it was actually blue?

"Kerra, I'm sorry. Did you just say you _are_Royalty Blended?" I asked. I didn't want to seem like I doubted her integrity, I certainly didn't want to offend her, but from the snicker I caught from Pam out of the corner of my eye, I'm sure I was doing just that. Gran would be so ashamed. Before I had a chance to give Pam a stern, _not now_ glare she had righted herself. A flash of memory flew over her beautiful face.

"Gravois? Eric? The Story of the King of Normandy is true?" she spoke almost in reverence.

He nodded in her direction, "It appears it is". He stated matter of factly.

"What story? The King? Vampire King?" I asked rapid fire questions as quick as my mind could form them.

Kerra turned her piercing blue eyes to Eric and I, "You have questions, I am certain?"

"Yeah, " a very nasally voice chimed in. Jason, sitting in the empty booth to our left, both is hands pressed on either side of his injured nose trying to manipulate it back into place, "Why the hell did you break my nose? I was only playing with ya...Ouch Goddamn it" he screamed as the nasal cartilage snapped back firmly in place. He sniffed his nose and widened his eyes, scrunching up his face and releasing it.

Kerra nodded her head in submission, "I have paid you a blood offense. Please, drink of me so that you may be healed and we may have peace between us." She held out her wrist to Jason in an offering.

Jason quickly jumped to take Kerra up on her offer. He has a pre-existing affinity for vampire blood, a little unhealthy addiction if you will. Before either Eric or I could speak to tell her that it wasn't necessary, Pam appeared behind him and using great force of strength, pushed Jason down by the shoulders resulting in a resounding thud of his butt on the chair. She glared over his wild, messy blond head and growled, "He is mine".

Great. Just great. Where had I heard this before? Granted, those very words had saved my own life from Liam and his gang of miscreants and had even offered me a momentary protection to keep Eric Northman from ripping my white, flowered dress off of me and having his way with me while Bill watched, but this was Eric's grand-daughter. Great grand-daughter. I just don't think the whole "_she is mine...he is mine"_, business is really warranted here. The whole thing was so archaic (last weeks Word of the Day) that it put me in mind of the Count from Sesame Street, _One...one human pet...ah ha ha...Two...two human pets..ah ha ha._ And of course it only made matters worse.

What Eric, Pam, Kerra and I all perceived as a show of protection made Jason strut in his chair like a peacock on the walk. He leaned back into the chair against Pam's arms smiling that Jason Stackhouse dimpled grin of supreme satisfaction, drawing his fingers across his torso and mouthing the word, "hers". There would be no dealing with him now. As much as I appreciated Pam's effort. I hoped like hell she knew what she was getting herself into.

Eric finally spoke, his tone quiet but sincere, "There will be no need for that Kerra. Your blood offense was a direct result of Mr. Stackhouse's inability to control himself in a manner becoming a gentleman. The offense owed is paid. I'm sure my love accepts this as well?" He turned the question toward me. Secretly, I love the way Eric asks questions, there is a lilt in his voice at the end of the last word that let's everyone know that his question is not really a question. It's a demand. Normally I would've scoffed and having his demands thrown in my direction, but this time, I couldn't have agreed more.

"Yes, Kerra. Please, it's nothing," I realized I sounded breathless when I spoke. I think I was just so relieved that none of us had been killed or maimed up to this point. Which reminded me,

"Kerra, when you came in tonight, you said you killed three of de Castro's men outside. You said they were going to harm me?" I looked to Eric puzzled and more than a little confused, "I thought I was under the King's protection?"

Kerra gave a little laugh and Eric shifted in his chair," Yes, they were sent to watch you, protection if you wish to call it as such. I did not say they were going to harm you, my mistress. I said they were having less than gentlemanly thoughts." Her face turned to one of disgust, "One in particular had thoughts of taking you in his bed, putting his dirty hands on your skin...."

My mouth gaped open and I stopped her mid-sentence, "So you killed them for that?" I asked.

Kerra seemed surprised at my surprise, "Yes" she said plainly and unapologetic. "You are a Northman woman. It is not tolerated."

Even Pam, who had no problems up to this point showing her suspicion of Kerra was smiling. Eric too, smiled like a kid in a candy store. He looked from Kerra to myself with fierce pride outlining the landscape of his features. I remained in shock. Death to a vampire by another vampire was a serious offense, one Eric should've well remembered after staking LongShadow on my behalf and the chaos that followed with Charles Twinning. Kerra must be pretty damn high up in the hierarchy to kill three in one night just for thinking I had a nice rack. The questions that I thought I had multpilied and were now legion. One at a time, Sookie, one at a time. I decided I would start with the most recent revelation and work backwards.

"What exactly do you mean that I am a Northman woman, Kerra?" I asked cautiously

She seemed confused that I even had to ask,"You are bonded to my great grandfather," she nodded to Eric. "But even before that and so many times after, you have proved your worth." She smiled a huge bright smile that belonged more on the side of a Colgate box than in the dimly lit bar. "You are brave, wise, valiant and head-strong. You have a warrior's heart and the sublime beauty of the goddess." She paused in her litany of compliments only briefly to effectively measure me up, "You are not so tall though." She added as almost an after thought before slinging her hand away as if to say "_it is of no matter"._

Eric sat a little taller in his chair, his back at regal heights and preening with pride from the compliments belayed by his heir. I still sat awe struck, her cryptic answers left me with far more questions. I lowered my head to my lap and realized that I was clutching the necklace, Eric's necklace with all I was worth. The triangular sides were digging into the flesh of my palm leaving reddened ridges.

"So you gave this to me?" I held the black jeweled necklace out from me.

"Yes, " she replied sincerely, "You have earned the Valknutr for your valor"

I slumped backward in the chair. I was on information overload. Eric had a great-grandaughter who may or may not be royalty and who had thoroughly,it seemed, checked all my credentials. She had been possibly in but definitely around my house, leaving me gifts and speaking to me in dreams. She had called me her Mistress and had killed for me with as little concern as swatting a house fly.

I felt the briefest tickle inside my brain and a voice accompaning it,

_I know, it is a lot to take at once Mistress, rest easy._

My head snapped to see Kerra's smiling face and that wink that was so Eric it was scary. Had she just been in my head? Eric sensed my predicament and quetioned it,

"Lover, what is it? You feel...you seem frightened?"

"It's nothing," I stammered, "It's just been a really long night."

Before he could react, Kerra answered on my behalf, "With respect to you Grand-sire, this night has been much to take for Mistress Sookie. I am at fault for that and I apologize. May I come to you tomorrow night so that we may discuss things further?"

Eric looked at me, I could tell he was torn between the decision to stay with me or stay with Kerra and question her ad naseam about the whys and hows of her sudden appearance. I wouldn't hear of it.

"No. Eric, it's ok, we'll see each other soon. You need to stay here and be with Kerra, she's your family. Jason can drive me home." As much as I hated to leave his side, especially knowing the courage that it took to get me here in the first place, I knew that just as vampire politics would always come first. Vampire heir apparents were probably a step above that. His hand reached out and grazed softly the skin of my cheek. I wanted to fold myself into his hands, to erase the moments of the last few hours and just seek the same heated contentment I had felt when he kneeled before me and promised to be mine, _for as long as you will have me._

Eric spoke, "No, Sookie." His eyes were stern but there was an underlying concern dancing against the blue depths. Surely he didn't think that Kerra meant to do me, us, any harm.

He turned to Kerra, "Do you have suitable place for your day rest?" He questioned. Dawn was a few hours away yet, but the issue was still one that needed resolved.

"Yes, I do" she nodded. "It is close by, between here and Bon Temps." She again winked in my direction. I glanced around nervously to Eric and then Pam who did not seem the least bit surprised by her admission.

"It is settled then, Sookie will remain with me. Pam, please see to it that Mr. Stackhouse arrives safely in Bon Temps." The other two vampires in the room, Kerra and Pam, jumped to do Eric's bidding.

I waved Pam over to me, I hated myself for what I was about to do. It went against everything I believed in. Pam leaned forward her ear just inches from my mouth, "I want you to glamour him, Pam. I don't want him to remember anything after Kerra's arrival." She pulled back from me a little shocked. She opened her mouth to speak but I stopped her.

"Please Pam, just do this for me," I pleaded.

She blew out a sigh of resignation and looked back towards her new charge. He remained sitting in the chair she had violently placed him, his boyish good looks still mercifully intact. She rose again, placing one arm across her abdomen while the other arm held to her face and her fingers playfully tapped her pursed lips, "If I'm going to glamour him anyway, I might was well sleep with him".

I smiled, I couldn't help it.

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When at last just Eric and I remained in the bar,I rose from my chair and to step down from the stage and make my way toward the door. The night and the information seeping into my bones like a cold,wet winter rain. I was tired. I felt defeated. I stood under the last of the lights that Pam had left on for us (or rather me, Eric can see very well in the dark) and turned toward Eric beckoning with my eyes to please, just take me home. Staring at him, the faint yellow glow of the recessed lighting illuminated his skin, much the way fire light had done so many times before. Each flicker of movement, each unintentional flex of muscle as he shifted in his chair was magnified. I'd had such high hopes for this evening. I felt more than a little guilty that after all we'd been through tonight, more than I just wanted rest, I still wanted him.

I turned and walked back toward him slowly, measuring each step. He raised those piercing blue eyes to stare into mine. I wasn't sure my legs would support me for the short distance the way he was looking at me. There was a sadness within their depths, a regret, but also a hunger. A deep and powerful hunger that I had come to know all to well. It was the same hunger that coursed through my veins and made my body cry out for Eric Northman every night. I had tried to shut it down, tried sometimes successfully to ignore it, but underneath it was always there, boiling to the surface like a cauldron of fire. Tonight, even in my soul sucking weariness, I could do nothing but reach out for him.

His smile was breathtaking. Without speaking we both knew what the other needed. Comfort, assurance that in a world gone mad, there would still be the perfect simplicity of us. Our lives were not simple, but the ease of our skin sliding against each other in aching abandon could be. His hand caught mine. My skin tingled down to my toes at the contact. I had expected to swept up into his waiting arms, my lips to be crushed against his, my swelling breasts pushed tight against the wall of quivering muscles that was his chest. A scene ripped from the cover of one of my romance novels. Instead he turned me and brought me to a seated position on his lap.

I leaned my head against his massive shoulder and with my eyes closed, breathed in deep. The close proximity was intoxicating. He leaned forward his warm breath against the exposed skin of my neck causing an explosion of goose flesh up and down my spine. He spoke into my skin.

"I wanted to take you to my home, to lay you into my bed and glory in the contrast of your skin against the crimson sheets." He began, his raw sincerity brought the beginning of tears to my eyes.

"I wanted to love you, in all ways. I could think of nothing else"

I responded to him, the slow heat building a fire in my belly, "I wanted that too, Eric."

"I still do." He said finally.

I could feel him stiffening beneath me. Without reservation my body responded with pushing down into him. I slowly began circling my hips into the expanse of his lap, feeling him getting harder and harder. His hands began delivering feather light touches to my arms, up and down in long languid caresses, his lips, his drawn fangs scraping intently on the spot just below my ear. The familiar growl in his voice that set my insides a flame.

"I want to remember everything" he purred against the flush of my skin.

I sighed, moaned and writhed against him. There was memory here, lots of delicious memories that I had tried to suppress. Eric was now set upon coaxing them out of me, claiming them for himself.

He leaned me forward away from the wall of his chest to grasp the zipper at the back of my dress and pull it leisurely down leaving the sensitive skin between my shoulder blades bare for this barrage of cool kisses. His strong hands eased the dress over my shoulders leaving my breasts bare. Though I was hesitant to deny myself even a moments contact with his gracious plenty, I raised my hips away from him briefly to allow him to slide the remnant of the dress away from me. I was bare atop him, with the exception of the tiniest black thong panties emblazoned with the Fangtasia logo. They had been my second special surprise of the night and Eric growled in appreciation upon their sight. I had marked myself, in my own way, beneath the kitsy get-up. The pearly white fangs of the logo were unmistakable.

I bent away from him and leaned to reach the zipper of my chunky, go-go boots. A stong hand caught me by the hips and pulled me back into the maelstrom we were creating.

"Leave them on," he whispered raggedly against my ear.

He began the slow, tortuous assault on my skin, his long able fingers trailing patterns and intricate designs. The coolness of the bar combined with the skillful touch caused my breasts to stand at attention as my back arched under his caress. Their peaks taut and painfully hard, feeling as if arc of electricity may spark out of me. The heavy throb at my center pulsed and whined. If he didn't take me and soon, I was sure to die in the lightening storm.

"Eric...please.." I managed. Each ragged breath making my skin hotter and the throb at my core more unbearable.

I could feel his smile as he buried himself in the scent of my hair and breathed deep with me, "Oh, I will have you Sookie and soon. But first there is the issue of a dance."

I turned my head towards him questioning. The fierce lust in his eyes boring holes into the hazy cloud of mine. I knew in an instant what he wanted. I allowed myself to nip gently at his bottom lip, then allowed my pink tongue to linger over it's length before taking both his in my own. His own tongue coming out to play, mingling with mine, warm, wet, sublime.

"Dance" he commanded again.

I began moving my body slowly, though there was no music in the bar, only the staggered silence between the steady cadence of our collective moans and sighs. The music igniting between us served our purpose well. I rolled my body as I had done on the dance floor for him. I circled my hips, driving into his hardness and feeling my own rising pleasure from the friction. Back and forth in waves. His hands now, trailing their way gently up the insides of my thighs easing them open under his command. My muscles felt like weak masses and I felt my legs give way under his easy pressure.

"Now," he paused, "Give yourself to me"

I felt the rising wave of pleasure as Eric's deft fingers found their way inside the black panties. Parting me lovingly, I stiffened as one brilliant finger eased into the pool of my womanhood. I brace myself for the feel of his full finger inside of me. Instead, he slid his finger, now saturated with the silky liquid heat inside of me, up my sensitive folds and came to rest gently on the bundle of spasming nerves above. He pressed gently into it, nudging as if trying to wake a sleeping giant. The constant gentle pressure was assaulting every sense I had. I longed so much for release that I tried to push myself down into it and around it, forcing him to rub against me.

"Oh God, Eric, I can't stand it, Please.." I felt my head thrash side to side. He gave in and began caressing the nub with the same feather light worship he had paid the rest of my body. I could feel the mounting tension in my walls, feel the trembling roar of my own body's release. Before I could stop him, Eric lifted me off him and placed me gently in the chair. With his vampire speed he had stripped himself of his shirt and now kneeled before me with his bare, marble chest glistening in the light before me. His wicked lustful smile was my undoing. I panted incoherently and reached for the belt buckle at his narrow waist. His hands caught mine and eased me back into the chair.

"You are so beautiful" he whispered. "A goddess among crones" he smiled. He lavished more hot, wet kisses across my breasts and my belly, bringing me near convulsion. He gently raised my leg lifting it up over the arm rest of the giant chair,_ "My queen in her throne"_He finally settled between my thighs, his golden hair again leaving delicate traces across the trembling flesh. His mouth replaced the work began by his fingers as his tongue laved wildly against my center before the gentle pull and release of his wonderful mouth on my nub.

He gasped, his fangs full and long, his own eyes glazing over in unmatched lust, "There is nothing sweeter than the taste of you, lover"

I growled in my own right, I needed him to take me, to have me in all ways, "Drink, Eric. NOW!" I moaned.

I felt the minute pressure of the dagger like teeth scrape across the inside of my thigh, still dangerously close to the mounting pressure at my core. He bit down, my head flew back in ecstasy as he drank in all of me. All that I could give him and in that moment, that perfect simplicity, my mind created fireworks.

His pulls were long and sure as my body spasmed around him, my legs tightening to vice like grips around his muscular shoulders. And when he entered me, my body still ravaged from the work of his mouth and still spasming wildly, it was with the same slow tortuous speed that his nimble fingers had employed. Inch by delicious inch he slid into me, filling me fully with his massive length until I felt all breath suck violently out of my lungs. He whispered into my mouth, the same heated incomprehensible words that sounded like a soothing lullaby.

"Eric," I moaned against his lips, my hips rising to meet his, "I lo...."

I found my mouth crushed under the weight of his, his heavy kissed baring down on me.

"You are mine" he spoke.

It no longer sounded archaic or even protective. In that instant the world I thought I knew exploded into a million pleasurable pieces and all that remained was the perfection of his skin sliding against mine.

TBC :K


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Just a quick little fluffy update for the day then it's back to the job that pays the bills..LOL. Expect the next chapter sometime before the weekend. Thanks again for all the reviews. I'm so glad everyone liked the ESN. I'll admit, that's the first time I've ever written one of those and I'm sure I was blushing the whole time......

*I don't own any of the SVM characters, Charlaine Harris does*

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Chapter 12

Pam felt the gravel crunch noisily under her feet. The steady staccato click of Kerra's pointed boots and the heavy thump of Jason's pouting stomp following shortly behind. They traversed the now vacant parking lot, at last coming to the four vehicles parked under the faint glow of the street lamp. The sign at the base read, "Fangtasia Employee Parking only". Pam had wanted a clever slogan about killing any partakers of the designated spaces and Eric had effectively banned the idea. He had said that, "not all of our employees have the ability or the need to kill over a parking space, my child. It would be false advertising and we are nothing if not honest." Jesus, he could be such a buzz kill of late. Still, she found it a little over-bearing that beside her sleek black sedan and Eric's mighty red Corvette, sat what was obviously Kerra's silver Jeep Wrangler 4- door.

Of course, Jason's large, impressive black truck sat silent under the street lamp as well, morning dew already beginning to settle on the windshield. That was different. Hell everything was different, she shrugged. At least in her hesitant disdain for the woman she could admit that Kerra had good taste. She dug into her evening clutch and found her keys, clicking the key fob to unlock the doors while steadily stalking the vehicle. She was vaguely unaware of how fast she had been moving towards it. She had left her home for Fangtasia with one thought in mind, securing her Master's happiness. It hadn't all been entirely self less. When Eric was happy, she was free to pursue avenues which made her happy without question. Things had been going so well too. Then Jason had shown up with his beautiful sister, had asked permission to court her, and then Kerra had made an entrance that would've made the Ringling Brother's proud. The whole night just went to shit! So much for securing Eric's happiness.

Of course she had grown to want Sookie's happiness too, her beloved human friend. And there had been moments tonight that made Pam so proud of her. Even in her haste to make it to the car a huge grin covered her flawless face as the remembered Sookie staring down the hapless fangbanger in the ladies room. Pam's mind reiterated the thought that so many vampires who had met the human telepath had spoken, "she'll make a magnificent vampire someday"

_If that is her choice_

Pam wheeled her head to the side. The voice had come out of nowhere. She looked briefly at Kerra who stared straight ahead with an almost blank expression. She looked back to see Jason at nearly above a joggers pace to keep up with the two quickly moving vampires. Pam decided that it must be her own mind's voice repeating words that Sookie herself had all but made her mantra. She didn't want to be turned, not now, not ever. And in Pam's own mind she had created her own solemn promise, she wouldn't ever try to turn her unless there was no other option against losing her.

The two-some arrived at the vehicle with Jason following close behind. He was panting, bent over at the waist, clearly winded from the quick jaunt He began to speak, his voice coming in jagged bursts through gasps of air.

"Listen, Pam, I know you're in a hurry to get me home so you can have your way with what's "yours" and all, but damn woman. Don't kill me before I get there."

Pam heard Kerra stifle a giggle, She had known from the instant that she had come in close contact with Jason that he was not, despite later proclaimations to the contrary, Pam's. He didn't bear any of her scent. But Kerra saw it for what it was, protection. She noted Pam glaring at her and backed away bowing her head.

Pam ripped open the car door with such veracity that she worried the door may come off the hinges, in one sweeping movement she grabbed the top of Jason's messy head, protecting it like she had seen on CSI, and threw hm as easliy as a crumpled piece of paper into the luxurious back seat,

"Get in the fucking car, Stackhouse," Pam growled through gritted teeth.

She turned towards Kerra whose amused eyes glinted against the faint backdrop of light. Pam was struck by how much she did look like her Master. She silently damned herself for doubting the woman, but in the last centuries she had become so attached to him, so unbearably protective of him, that it had become second nature to question everyone and everything around him. The glint in Kerra's eyes faded, replaced by that same worn, tired expression that Eric was left with as the night unfolded. She spoke,

"Pam, I would like to accompany you to Bon Temps, to return the fairy safely to his home."

Jason, who had been blessedly silent for his maximum time frame of two minutes sparked to life in the back seat,

"Woman, I told you, I ain't no damn fairy. I like women, got it. All man here, there is enough here for both of you. Of course," he chuckled at his own cleverness, "all my blood seems to be running in one direction after seeing you two dressed up like Dominatrix Barbie" He had his head with his dimpled grin hanging out the side of the door. Pam simply let out a grunt of disgust and slammed the door closed on it. The tinted window smacked him square in his already tender nose, sending howls of pain audible outside the closed door.

"Kerra, please," Pam smiled at her, her infamous _trying to cover my ass_smile, "Jason doesn't know of his fairy lineage." she paused and turned into the window giving a sarcastic smile and a brief wave to to subject of the conversation who remained howling, cursing and trying in vain to once more realign his nose. She turned to Kerra, sarcasm intact,

"So it would be _really_ fucking helpful if you'd stop referring to him as that!!"

For the second time tonight, Kerra looked ashamed of herself. Things were not going as she had planned at all, she had offended her mistress's brother twice and wrought Pam's ire on both occasions. A vampire of her stature and power should know better. She silently blamed her own maker for her sheltered undead life.

"I apologize, I assumed...." Kerra began.

Pam interrupted her, "There is a saying about assumptions, " she spat.

"I know, I know something about making an ass out of yourself," she replied

Pam deadpanned, "Well, yes there is that. Then there is also starting a war with the pointy eared bastards and getting us all killed." She sighed and pointed to the passenger side door, "Please...get in"

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The ride to Bon Temps passed uneventfully and blessedly quiet. With the exception of the faint sounds coming from the radio, various pop songs, tomorrow's forecast (sunny with a high of 68) and local news reports, (some disgusting craw fish festival in the works..and people were paled by a vampire's diet?) the only sound came from the spin of the wheels on the road. Even Jason had managed to keep his dimpled mouth shut for the ride. There were a few times that noisy grumbles of discontent could be heard rumbling from the backseat, usually followed by the gentle thump of his foot against her driver's seat. But there was nothing more than that. Kerra it seemed was either enthralled with the nighttime scenery or had dropped into downtime. Either way, she was thankful for the reprieve.

There were many questions that Pam had for the woman. She thought each one of them over, almost religiously in her head. She had gathered from the brief information session at Fangtasia that you must ask the right questions. A being almost as old as Eric and possibly more powerful, could have many secrets. There would be careful paths to tread ahead. What she must not do, is allow her growing "human" emotions to outweigh her vampire intelligence. Right now she wanted to pull to the side of the road and shake the woman loose from her answers. That's what Sookie would do. Jesus, what had her undead life come to?

Just five years ago, she would've been bowing and scraping before the ancient beauty. Secretly she would've been measuring her up, looking for her faults and calling her on them because in essence that's what vampire's do. It's all manners and etiquette that give way to secret killing sprees. Now, she was in your face. In _her face_, defying her Master (at least in her mind), placing a _human_life above her own and had...ugh...laid claim to one Jason Stackhouse in front of everyone to keep him from drinking from Kerra. She wondered when her WWSD (What Would Sookie Do) bracelet would be sh_o_wing up in the mail? She laughed at loud at the prospect, drawing no attention from the occupants of the car. Perhaps they thought she had gone mad. It happens sometimes, or so she read.

At last, the familiar gravel of Jason's driveway crunched under the tires and the vehicle lurched up and down over the uneven surface. Perhaps Eric could stand to repave this one as well. It was in fact Sookie's child hood home. Pam parked the car adjacent to the porch and with her speed was out of her door, opening Jason's and miming the word, "out" before he could register his surroundings. She nodded to Kerra, asking her to wait for her in the car. Kerra nodded in kind.

Pam watched as Jason fumbled with the keys to the door, she thought of her last conversation with Sookie before leaving the bar. Sookie had seemed so desperate, in such despair. Pam wondered if she wanted him glamoured more to protect him than to assure his silence. As he walked through his living room stripping himself of his shirt, the rippling muscles of his back didn't scream, "protect me". Pam followed closely behind him to the sancticity of his bedroom. Clothes were strewn about, mismatched outfits laid carelessly over the bed room furniture. He had tried so hard to make a good impression for himself tonight, to please his sister, to prove to the world that he wasn't a total screw up. Pam found the scene endearing. She leaned against the door frame and watched, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched him scurry about the room and try to straighten things, he cleared off a spot on the bed and then turned to her stripping his jeans to the floor and standing there in his boxers. His eyes were wild, he looked scared to death.

For a moment Pam forgot that she was looking at the Jason Stackhouse, self proclaimed, Don Juan de Marco, de Vampire, de Anything with a pulse. Jason was crass, almost to the point of being vulgar. He had a wicked sense of humor that was often wholly inappropriate. He went about things the wrong way, sometimes the really wrong way, but his intentions were, more often than, not pure. He made mistakes and he was living not just with, but through them. For that brief moment, Pam saw a little bit of herself in Jason. He sat down on the bed and patted to the open area beside him, a large lump forming in his throat. She walked steadily toward him, it would be no easy feat sitting beside him. Even though the blood from his nose (from both occasions of abuse) was mostly dry, the smell of the traces of fairy in his blood was intoxicating. Add that detail to the fact that Jason was quite the well built specimen and Pam could easily envision herself at a Stackhouse buffet.

She sat down beside him and he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Hard. He waited for her to attack, to bite, hell maybe even just kiss him, but none of those things ever came. Instead she reached up and stroked his face, bringing hers very near to his. He stared in awe as the light in her eyes gave off a slow distant hum, her pupils flashed like gentle strobe lights against the pale blue iris. It was mesmerizing, hypnotizing. His mouthed open and the whisper, "wow" passed through his lips.

She reached up to ruffle his already messy mane, her voice was soft, soothing.

"You're really very tired Jason," she spoke, " and you should be. We danced all night, like lovestruck teenagers you and I. And Sookie, Sookie was so proud of you"

"She was?" Jason questioned incrediously through the voice of sleep. Pam could see that his eyes were getting heavy, the lids drooping ever so gently. She leaned him back against the pillows, grabbing the scattered blankets to cover his torso.

"Mmmhmmm," she whispered, "She and Eric both were quite pleased. She even said," Pam stopped herself momentarily, the lie she was about to tell caught in her throat, the beginning of a blood red tear forming in her eye. She cleared her throat, "She even said that your grandmother would've been so proud to see you...what's the expression?"

"Cuttin' a rug" Jason laughed dreamily, his eyes now completely closed.

"That's right," she said quietly leaning closer in to his sleeping face, the smell of the blood on him was overwhelming and without warning her fangs ran down, "and when you wake in the morning, if you remember anything at all, that is all you will remember."

Her reply was only the gentle snoring coming from Jason's still busted and misaligned nose. She raised one delicate finger to her sharp fang and bit. Squeezing a few drops of her precious blood, she placed each drop on either side of his nose. She watched as it hovered there and then placed her hand over his open mouth. The lack of oxygen causing him to sniff wildly through his painful nose, pulling the drops of sanguine medicine into their passages. The soothing elixer healing him almost instantly as she was rewarded with the return to gentle, normal breathing.

Jason flopped contently to his side, "Goodnight, Pam"

Pam reached down to ruffle his hair again and laid the tiniest of soft kisses along his upturned cheek. She wiped the dainty tear from her eye. "Goodnight, Jason."

TBC


End file.
